It’s been a few months (and a baby) since I last participated in Iron Cupcake SF (January 2011, as a matter of fact). But with most of the baby weight and ALL of the gestational diabetes gone, I was ready to take on Iron Cupcake by storm. The monthly challenge: candy. Something I have made into an entire food group for the better part of my life! So I got to work creating my dream candy-inspired cupcake. Heaps of food porn and a killer cupcake recipe after the jump.
Leena Bakes: Mini Carrot Cupcakes with Pistachio and Cream Cheese Frosting for other people. As in NOT her.
- You rock, Carrots. From hard and crunchy to soft, spicy cake, you are so damn versatile. Not like lima beans.
Yeah, I like to torture myself. I’m technically not allowed to bake, especially with sugar, due to my latest diagnosis of gestational diabetes. It was a definite bitch slap to me, as baking has comforted me through three degrees, one cross-country and one cross-world move, and 2/3s of this pregnancy.
But when my husband’s birthday rolled around, I knew I couldn’t not bake him a cake. A birthday without cake is sacrilegious in this household! So I rocked out his favorite recipe in mini cupcake form, carrot cake with pistachios and cream cheese frosting.
If and only if you’d like to see the best damn carrot cake recipe I have ever come across, if you think you can handle the awesomeness, then please. By all means–click on.
Leena Bakes & Eats: Iron Cupcake SF- Bake Sale January 2011
A sea of cupcakes, in this case, vanilla cookie chunk monster, at Iron Cupcake SF January 2011: Bake Sale
14 styles of cupcakes, 672 mini cupcakes, and at least one fairly pregnant Leena: danger, thy name is Iron Cupcake SF. Held on the last Monday in January at the cute but tiny Leland Tea Company located in SF’s Tender-Nob hood, this competition featured 14 bakers and hoards of cupcake tasters gathered for one thing-the love all things tiny and cupcake-ish.
I have been a member of this Meetup.com group for a nearly a year, but finally got around to entering the competition this January. The theme was bake sale, like items typically sold at a bake sale or church fundraiser. I was proud to rock out my version of the Ohio regional candy, the buckeye (peanut butter ball rolled in chocolate). Peanut butter cupcake, dark chocolate ganache topping, and peanut butter buttercream. Yeah. Pregnancy cravings miuch?
My Third Place Iron Cupcake SF entry: mini buckeye cupcakes--pb cupcake, ganache, and pb buttercream. Rich enough to take down a herd of elephants!
For heaps of cupcake porn and a damn good cupcake recipe, click on!
Leena Bakes: Ginger Cupcakes with Cranberry Cream Cheese frosting
My ginger cupcake with cranberry cream cheese frosting- winter in a cute little paper cup!
For the first three months of my pregnancy, I almost went crazy with pregnancy nausea, and cooking was the LAST thing on my mind. Once it finally did cross my mind, baked goods were about all that seemed appetizing. Enter my ginger cupcake with cranberry cream cheese frosting.
The recipe and food porn after the click.
Leena Bakes: Vanilla Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Frosting for Memorial Day!
My vanilla cupcake with fresh strawberry frosting. Yay spring!
Cheap strawberries are everywhere in Northern California right now, signaling that spring is here. With Memorial Day barbecues just around the corner, I wanted to create a cupcake that would celebrate the delicious flavor of a fresh strawberry, and this is what I came up with: a light vanilla cupcake and a fresh strawberry frosting, both inspired by Cheryl at Cupcake Bakeshop, my favorite cupcake blogger.
This cupcake may look tame, but don’t be fooled. The light vanilla cupcake perfectly supports a strawberry frosting that smacks you across the face with fresh strawberry flavor first and asks questions later. And frankly, that’s the way I like my frosting. Light and bitchy.
Screw you, Autumn: Pepitas and Spiced Apple Cupcakes
I hate you so much, Autumn, I’m gonna eat you. Roasted Pepita-style.
I hate you, Autumn. Why the hell are you already here in Chicago? Less than two weeks ago, the sun was shining, it was a warm 80 degree F (26 C), and illegal Mexican street cart vendors were out in full force. Now, it’s a cool 70 (21 C), the breeze is getting a little colder and damn it, the leaves are already changing colors and falling off the stupid trees. STAY ON, FREAKING LEAVES! I’ll super glue you back on if I have to, because the second you guys all leave the trees, then comes the snow. I lived in Australia for the past year and a half. I don’t do “snow” anymore. Read the rest of this entry »
Setbacks and salted caramel
You can?t always get what you want. You can?t always get what you want?
Oh sure, it’s all fun and games now…
I am a surf goddess. At least, that is what I want you to think when you see this picture. I think I pull off the look quite well. But as I have learned many times in Australia, luck can be a fickle mistress, sometimes bestowing you with treasures beyond your wildest dreams, and at other times, getting your hopes up only to let you down at the last minute. In my two experiences surfing, my luck has mainly fallen in the latter category. Read the rest of this entry »
Procrastination at its Finest: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Wattle seed Icing
Just another “I should have been writing my paper, but instead I baked” mistakes: dark chocolate cupcake with wattle seed icing.
Anyone got a spare two thousand words? The old dissertation is looking a bit skinny at the moment, and after six straight months working on one paper, I have to be honest–I have nothing left to say. I’m spent. Over it. Done. And yet it is still here, demanding words from me that I don’t have like a nagging housewife. I am married to my freaking dissertation…and I think it is time to start seeing other papers. Read the rest of this entry »
