Pure Vanilla Extract

Is pure vanilla extract equal to double-strength imitation vanilla? Are they interchangeable? —P.R., Burt, Michigan

Actually, it's just the reverse. Double-strength imitation vanilla is double the strength of pure or imitation vanilla. So if you are using double-strength imitation vanilla, add only half of the amount of vanilla called for in a recipe. Regular-strength imitation vanilla can be used interchangeably with pure vanilla extract. However, imitation vanilla does not have the smooth flavor of pure vanilla extract and is best used in strong or spiced foods.

View the original article here

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

by Averie Sunshine on June 19, 2013

These cupcakes have been months in the making.

They were well worth the wait because they’re the best carrot cake cupcakes I’ve ever had.

I love carrot cake and wanted to turn one of my favorite cakes into cupcakes, but the road was paved with snags.

I love this Carrot Cake Loaf, but the recipe was written to be made as a loaf cake rather than as cupcakes. The cake is incredibly moist and I knew it would produce dense, heavy cupcakes. I wouldn’t mind because I think good carrot cake should be on the denser and heavier side, but others may prefer their cupcakes a bit lighter.

I have this Carrot Pineapple Banana Bread, a tropical spin on carrot cake. And Cinnamon and Spice Sweet Potato Bread, which uses similar spices to carrot cake, but neither are cupcakes.

A couple months ago I tried to make carrot cake cupcakes and accidentally overfilled my muffin pan. I wound up with splooging mushrooms rather than cupcakes.

Instead I made Soft and Chewy Spiced Carrot Cake Cookies. They turned out to be some of my favorite cookies of 2013 so far, so all was not lost.

And there’s a recipe in my cookbook for Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Cookies, which have cream cheese baked in and they’re great cookies, but they’re not cupcakes.

Now I finally have my cupcakes and I love them. They’re fast and easy to make, and ready from start to finish in under 30 minutes. The batter comes together in one bowl without a mixer.

They’re soft, the perfect balance of dense yet light, and so moist. There’s nothing worse than dry cake and cupcakes tend to dry out even more so than cake, and these are anything but dry.

They’re oil-based rather than butter-based. Oil keeps cakes, breads, and quickbreads softer, springier, and more tender than butter.

The carrots themselves add moisture and texture, as do the raisins. If you don’t like raisins, you can omit them. I’m a raisin lover and they’re a must. If you like nuts, add some, but I prefer to keep those little pebbles out of my soft, tender cupcakes.

Bland carrot cake isn’t worth eating and the cupcakes are pleasantly spiced in a way that’s robust enough to complement the natural flavor of the carrots. They’re sweet, but not overly so.

The tangy cream cheese frosting, which is a must-have, balances the sweetness and rounds out the flavors. I just spooned it on, but pipe if you prefer. I only pipe unless I absolutely have to because so much precious frosting sticks to the bag and is wasted.

Many times I donate our extra goodies to friends, neighbors, my husband’s coworkers, my daughter’s teachers because our family of 3 does not need it all. But my husband insisted we hoard these. I agreed.

All my trials and tribulations of getting to these cupcakes were so worth it.

Print Save

I love carrot cake in any way, shape, or form, and these soft, moist, tender cupcakes are the best carrot cake cupcakes I've ever had. They're fast and easy to make, and come together with one bowl and a whisk in minutes. They're soft, springy, and the cream cheese frosting adds the perfect tanginess to these well-spiced and flavorful cupcakes.

Yield: 12 to 13 cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Cupcakes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sour cream or thick Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrots (2 to 3 medium/large carrots, peeled)
1/2 cup raisins, optional
1/2 cup nuts, optional

Frosting
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese (light is okay), softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
about 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, more or less as desired

For the Cupcakes - Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-count muffin pan very well with floured cooking spray or use liners (Cosmetically, I prefer avoiding the ripples and ridges that liners produce)In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the first 11 ingredients (through optional salt) until combined.Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and stir until just combined, don't overmix.Fold in the carrots, optional raisins and nuts. Note about the carrots - I use a box grater on the coarsest blade and it takes less than 2 minutes to grate them. I prefer the consistency of doing it by hand rather than using a food processor. Don't use bagged, pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store; grate them yourself.Turn batter out into prepared pan. Fill each muffin cavity between 2/3 and 3/4-full. Do not exceed 3/4-full because they will overflow. You may have batter remaining for a 13th (or 14th) cupcake and it's better to either discard it or bake it in another pan even though it's a pain for just 1 cupcake. I have overfilled, and then overflown, trying to make it all work in one pan.Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cupcakes are domed, set, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before removing and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.While cupcakes cool, make the Frosting - With an electric mixer, beat together first three ingredients on high power until combined and light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and beat to incorporate. Play with sugar ratio based on desired frosting consistency. If you accidentally add too much sugar, add a bit more cream cheese to thin it out.Frost the cooled cupcakes. I spoon on about 2 tablespoons frosting per cupcake. Pipe it with a piping bag if desired. If you have extra frosting, it will keep airtight in the refrigerator for many weeks. Frosted cupcakes will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Unfrosted cupcakes will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft and Chewy Spiced Carrot Cake Cookies

Carrot Pineapple Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting (small-batch recipe, makes 6)

Cinnamon and Spice Sweet Potato Bread

Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cake Bites (no-bake, vegan, GF)

Coconut Spice Cheesecake Bars

Do you like carrot cake? Have a favorite recipe?

View the original article here

Mini Cream Cheese Pound Cakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

by Averie Sunshine on June 4, 2013

I almost never make pound cake. With all my other baking, we don’t need a pound of cake.

But two little mini cakes is a different story.

I’m not sure who eats traditional pound cake that’s made with a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. That’s one heavy cake.

They must have super-human metabolism.

For my version, I added cream cheese in addition to the butter. It adds extra flavor, richness, and moisture. Pound cake is prone to dryness, and there’s nothing more inedible than dry cake. Why bother. The cream cheese helps combat that pesky problem.

The batter comes together in just minutes. All at once, cream together butter, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients and you’re ready to bake.

I baked them as two mini loaves because mini food is cuter, of course. And I find it easier to control the overall browning and dryness levels when I bake dense batters in smaller loaf pans rather than as one big loaf.

I love this Set of 4 Mini Loaf Pans for $9.99, but if you don’t have mini pans, it can be baked in a 9×5 pan. You’ll likely extend baking by 10 to 15 minutes, and if necessary, tent it with foil midway through cooking if your loaf is becoming overly browned.

I love the cracked tops. I’ve read that a cracked top on banana bread is the signal of a great loaf. It indicates that the wet and dry ingredients, as well as leaveners, were all combined in proper ratios to create steam, which escapes via the crack.

When I see a crack, I know the loaf is going to be a keeper.

The cake has a very dense and tight crumb, yet they’re surprisingly light. It’s just sweet enough and very subtly flavored with cream cheese. The cream cheese plays more of a role in adding moisture so the little cakes stay soft and moist.

The vanilla cream cheese glaze was the icing on the cake. Literally. It’s tangy yet sweet, and enhanced the cream cheese vibe.

Or try this heavenly Apricot Cream Cheese Glaze or your favorite jam or fruity topping. A handful of fresh strawberries, sprinkled with a touch of sugar, and allowed to macerate for an hour would be lovely draped over a slice.

The mini size is perfect to satisfy my once a year craving for a slice or two of pound cake, without having a ridiculously large amount of cake leftover. Let’s face it, no one wants to eat dried out pound cake on day 4 that’s leftover from a huge 10-inch tube-cake of pound cake.

Not a problem here.

And they make adorable gifts. One for you, one for a friend. That is, if you don’t scarf them both down.

They’re mini after all.

Print Save

I like this recipe because it makes just two little pound cakes, perfect when you only want a slice or two to satisfy a craving, and don't want a big cake leftover. The pound cake is dense and rich, yet light. It stays soft and moist from the cream cheese in the batter, and the vanilla cream cheese glaze is the literal icing on these small cakes. Make one for yourself and give one to a friend if you can part with one of these mini cuties.

Yield: two 5x3 mini cakes, or one 9x5 cake

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

For the Cake
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used Trader Joe's Soft Spreadable Light Cream Cheese with great results)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt, optional and to taste

For the Glaze
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
about 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more if necessary

For the Cake - Preheat oven to 325F. Spray two 5x3 Mini Loaf Pans with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pans; set aside. (Cake may be baked as one 9x5 loaf, possibly as one 8x4 loaf, although I have not tested either. Adjust baking time accordingly, probably by adding 5 to 15 minutes, tent with foil if necessary to prevent over-browning)To the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and hand mixer), add first 5 ingredients (through vanilla), and beat on medium-high speed to cream them until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the final 3 ingredients. Mix on medium speed until just incorporated, don't overmix.Turn batter out into prepared pans and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until cakes are domed, golden, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I baked for 47 minutes and rotated pans midway through baking. I would bake for about 45 minutes next time. If at any point your cakes seem to be browning too quickly, tent with a sheet of foil; however this was not an issue for me.Allow cakes to cool in pans for about 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cakes are best enjoyed fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. While cakes cool, make the glaze.For the Glaze - Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and silky, playing with sugar ratio if necessary until desired consistency is achieved.Drizzle glaze on top of loaves or spread on the interior of the slices; I prefer the later version. Extra glaze will keep airtight for many weeks in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

French Almond Cookie Cake with Apricot Cream Cheese Glaze

Baked Orange Banana Coconut Donuts with Orange Coconut Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

Blueberry and Jam Buttermilk Coffee Cake with Buttery Vanilla Glaze

Fluffy Vegan Coconut Oil Banana Muffins and Mini Muffins

Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Little Banana Yogurt Muffins and Little Banana Bread Loaf

Baked Eggnog Vanilla Donuts with Eggnog Rum Glaze (use regular milk in place of the eggnog this time of year)

Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting

Thanks for the entries in the Favorite Mini & Petite Treats and Cookbook Giveaway – very timely with this post and ends tonight 6/4

Make sure to also enter the Peanut Butter Comfort Cookbook and KitchenAid Hand Blender Giveaway

Today is a very happy day for me because it’s the official release date of my cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort. Thank you to everyone who’s picked up their copy and for already writing to tell me you received your books. I’m so grateful for your support!

Do you like pound cake?

Ever made mini cakes of any kind?

View the original article here

Strawberries and Cream Coffee Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

by Averie Sunshine on May 22, 2013

I used every trick in the book I know to create a soft, moist, and tender cake.

All those tricks paid off, and it’s the best coffee cake I’ve ever made.

It comes together in one bowl in minutes. Not only that, but I combined all the ingredients in the bowl all together, all at once, rendering it like using cake mix. Dry, wet, oil, eggs, all at once, beat it together, pour it in the pan, and bake.

No sifting together dry ingredients and setting aside, then creaming butter and sugar until fluffy, or adding eggs, one by one, before carefully folding in the dry. Not necessary. Wham-bam, slap it in the pan.

A month ago I made this Blueberry and Jam Buttermilk Coffee Cake and couldn’t get it out of my mind. That cake almost uses the dump-together method, with just a very quick whisking of the dry ingredients before adding the wet. It used to be my favorite coffee cake, until this one.

For this cake, I added sour cream in addition to buttermilk, and used oil instead of butter. The trifecta of sour cream, buttermilk, and oil is guaranteed to result in good cake karma.

They add moisture and richness, and the cake retains some lightness and fluffiness, courtesy of the buttermilk.

Even though it’s strawberry season, I used frozen strawberries because my family ate the fresh ones I was going to bake with. I rarely bake with fresh fruit because it’s more expensive and usually gets eaten before I can squirrel some of it away to bake with.

If you’re using frozen fruit, thaw it only as much as necessary to slice it, before sprinkling it on top of the batter. Frozen fruit runs and bleeds less than thawed.

Most any fresh or frozen fruit could be used, including blackberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, mangoes, pears, plums, or cherries. This batter will make any fruit taste like a million bucks.

I baked it in a 9-inch springform pan, and although you maybe could get away with a standard 9-inch cake pan, I like being able to remove the ring so I don’t have to invert the cake to get it out. Plus, springform pans have higher sides and I like the extra insurance so there’s no chance of an overflow.

A tip is to place your springform pan on a baking sheet so if there’s a leak, the baking sheet catches it rather than the bottom of your oven.

I baked it for 30 minutes at 400F, then lowered the temperature to 375F, and baked for 25 minutes. I probably should have pulled it out about 5 minutes before I did because the edges got a little dark, but I lost track of time. Whoops, it happens. If at any time you feel your cake is becoming overly browned before the center is setting up, cover it with foil.

Before baking I sprinkled turbinado sugar over the top, which creates a slightly crunchy, chewy, and sweet crust. Underneath the golden browned top lies a moist, rich, soft, creamy, dense, yet tender interior.

While baking, the top domes and the strawberries sprinkled on the surface before baking sink down, creating potholes and craters filled with sweet, juicy berries. Best potholes ever.

The vanilla cream cheese frosting is truly the icing on the cake. It’s sweet, tangy, and the perfect creamy complement to the strawberries and cake. If you have extra frosting and don’t eat it all with a spoon, use it as a dip for fresh fruit.

I love this cake. It’s my new go-to cake batter for fruit-based coffee cakes. Sweet, soft, tender, fast, and easy. You can make this cake faster than you can go to the grocery store and buy one. It’s the perfect lazy weekend morning cake or for brunches or showers. Or for Wednesday nights after work.

Move over Entenmann’s. I never need you again.

Print Save

This is my new favorite coffee cake. The trifecta of sour cream, buttermilk, and oil guarantees a moist, rich, and tender cake. It's so fast and easy, and all but the last two ingredients are combined all at once to a mixing bowl; it doesn't get any easier. Sweet juicy strawberries are found in every bite, and the cream cheese glaze is the perfect tangy complement to the creamy, sweet cake.

Yield: one 9-inch cake, 8 generous pieces

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

For the Cake
1 large egg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream (very thick Greek yogurt may be substituted, although I have not tested it)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 1/4 cups frozen or fresh strawberries, halved and loosely packed (if using frozen, keep them unthawed and add them frozen - thaw just enough to halve them, if necessary. Other fruit could be substituted such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines)
2 to 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (2 tablespoons granulated sugar may be substituted)

For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
about 3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar OR about 1 cup confectioners' sugar (granulated sugar prevents glaze from getting as 'crunchy' when exposed to air, but doesn't incorporate as smoothly as confectioners' sugar)
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cake -Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside (I fear a regular 9-inch cake pan won't quite be deep enough; but an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan is okay).To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and hand mixer), combine first 10 ingredients (through salt), and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes.Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute.Transfer batter to prepared pan.Arrange strawberry slices uniformly over the top of batter (looks like a lot but they sink down and shrivel while baking).Evenly sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar.Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.Lower the temp to 375F and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until cake is golden, set in the center (it will likely be domed), not jiggly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs dangling, but no batter. Note that I used frozen strawberries and added ice cold berries to the cake batter. If you're using fresh berries, your baking time could be considerably less. Watch your cake, not the clock. If at any point your cake appears to be browning more quickly in places before the center is setting, cover with foil.Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing from pan and turning out onto a rack to cool completely. While the cake cools, make the glaze.For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze - Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and beat until smooth, either with a whisk or a mixer. Play with ratios of all ingredients to suit your tastes.Drizzle glaze over cake in big ribbons, going up and back, over the surface (the photos show the glaze skimpier because I wanted the strawberries to be visible, but I used all the glaze after the photos were completed). If you have extra glaze, it will keep airtight in the refrigerator for at least 1 month. It makes an excellent fruit dip. I store cake airtight at room temperature where it stays fresh for 4 days. Store in the refrigerator (due to the glaze) if desired.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

Blueberry and Jam Buttermilk Coffee Cake with Buttery Vanilla Glaze

Strawberry and Sprinkles Buttermilk Pancakes

Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Strawberry Sweet Rolls with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

Strawberry Jelly Rolls - Ready from start to finish in 20 minutes

Peanut Butter Honey Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Streusel

Strawberry Banana Bread

 Cinnamon Sugar Crust Cream Cheese and Jelly Danish Squares

Browned Butter Buttermilk Banana Bread with Strawberry Butter

Favorite Strawberry Recipes

Do you have a favorite coffee cake recipe or one you want to try?

View the original article here