Carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting

In this video I'm sharing with you my favorite recipe for a delicious carrot cake. It's perfect to serve with cream cheese frosting. This cake is moist and not extremely sweet.

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPaWc0wEnpM


Recipe

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups (340g) of finely grated carrots (raw)
2 cups (280g) of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (330g) of sugar
1 cup (250ml) of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
2. In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute).
3. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes).
4. Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract
5. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.
6. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots.
7. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared 9'' pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes on a preheated oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
8. Let cool completely before decorate.


Serves 10 - 12.

Jello Eggs - Gelatin Eggs

On this video tutorial I share this idea to make gelatin/ jello eggs to serve on Easter Day. It's really simple and easy and it's a fun treat for this Easter.
The only things you need are some empty eggs and any flavored gelatin you like. But to make the eggs more solid and firm, you need to make the gelatin with only half the water that  the recipe calls for.
For 12 large eggs I used 255g (9oz.) of flavoured gelatin and 750ml (3 cups) of water.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo5eNTGKJNY

Here is how they turned out

You can serve them by themselves or with some fruit of your choice. 

Happy Easter!

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Easter cookies - sugar cookies easter decorations

On this video I share with you how I made and decorated sugar cookies for Easter. I decided to make Easter cookies and start searching  for ideas. Of course the bunnies and the carrots had to be part of it. Because I don't have all of these cookie cutters, I just drew a template on some paper and using that as a guide i cut the cookies dough with the shapes I wanted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lAjVF-Roi4&feature=youtu.be

For the carrots, the flower, the butterflies and the Easter eggs, I first outlined the cookies with the outlining consistency royal icing in the colors that I wanted. Then, I simply filled the cookies with flood consistency icing.

For the bunny faces, first I outlined the cookies and then filled them with flooding icing. Only after the royal icing was almost dry (a couple of hours) I added the inner part of the ears and the nose with some light pink royal icing and also add the eyes with some melted chocolate.

The little chicken cookies, after being outlined and filled I waited for the royal icing to dry, just  like for the bunny faces cookies, and them added the details. I added the outline of the wings with yellow royal icing, then the beak with orange royal icing and finally the eyes with melted chocolate.

I divided these cookies into some treat bags to give to some friends.

I had also seen this idea for serving a milk and cookies snack to kids. I thought it looked really cute and would be a good idea for Easter Day snack after chocolate eggs hunting.
For these cookies, I add the outline and the filled them and when the royal icing was a little bit more dry I added the pink inner part of the ears. I really like how it turned out!

Here are the templates I used to cut the cookies for which I didn't have a cookie cutter:

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All about Royal Icing!

Royal Icing is the best icing to decorate cookies. It tastes lovely and dries hard but with smooth edges, making pretty cookie decorations that don't get damaged it they touch anything. Because of its drying characteristic and also because it's simple and easy to color this icing is perfect for all decorations.

There are different ways you can make this icing. The easiest is to buy the prepared royal icing mix and then you only need to add water accordingly to package instructions.

But if you don't have this mixture, or just want to make the icing from scratch, it's still super easy. I'm going to share with you two recipes.

Royal icing using meringue powder:

*this recipe is for the outlining consistency. To get to the flooding consistency just keep adding water (1 teaspoon at a time) until you reach the consistency you want.

4 cups (440g) icing/ powdered sugar

3 tablespoons (30g) meringue powder

3/4 cup (180ml) warm water

1/" teaspoon flavoring (optional)

Beat icing sugar and meringue powder in an electric or stand mixer until combined. Add the water and flavoring and keep beating until it is glossy and forms stiff peaks (5 min).

Royal Icing using egg whites:

1 large egg white

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 cups (220g) icing/ powdered sugar

Beat together the egg white with lemon juice. Add icing sugar and beat until well incorporated

Storage

If you don't use it right away, cover it with plastic wrap and then a damp towel to prevent from drying. If it isn't exposed to the air, you can store it for up to two weeks but you may have to mix it again before using.

You can also freeze royal icing.

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Confetti Cupcakes recipe - Spring cupcakes

This time I made a tutorial on how to make confetti cupcakes or funfetti cupcakes. It's a vanilla cupcake colored by the sprinkles in the batter. They look really delicious and colorful, which makes them perfect for this Spring time that has just started.

You can also check the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOv3TRtSBHY&feature=youtu.be

Recipe (serves 12)

Ingredients:
1 cup (210g) sugar
1/2 cup (225g) butter (room temperature)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (175g) of flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup (60ml) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80g) colored sprinkles

Directions:
1-Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2-Cream butter with sugar for about 3 minutes.
3-Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
4-Slowly add flour with baking powder alternating with the milk.
5-Divide the batter into cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes.
6-Let cool completely and decorate.

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Buttercream frosting

This video shows how you can make simple vanilla buttercream frosting. It's delicious and perfect to fill and frost cakes and cupcakes. You can also color it by adding food dyes.

This recipe is really simple and works every time! 

Go check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuBwr5TlaGo&feature=youtu.be

Buttercream recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup (225g) butter

4 cups (460g) powdered/ icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Cream the butter really well, for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and keep beating. Slowly add the icing sugar and keep adding it alternating with the milk.

When it's all incorporated it's finished and ready to use.

Storage: If you don't use it right away, transfer it to a air tight container and place it in the fridge up to 2 weeks. Then, before using, bring it to room temperature and beat it for some minutes. 

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St. Patrick's Day green velvet cupcakes

In this video I show you how to make green velvet cupcakes decorated with some really easy to make sugar paste shamrocks. 

Go check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV8TtsyY19M&feature=youtu.be

Recipe (serves 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (56g) butter
3/4 cup (158g) sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk
1 tablespoon liquid green food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (140g) flour
1/6 cup (18g) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (only if you're using unsalted butter)

Directions:
1 - Preheat oven to 350ºF/ 180ºC. Line 12 cupcake tins with liners.
2 - Stir flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda and set aside.
3 - Cream together butter and sugar.
4 - Add egg and mix
5 - Add the buttermilk, vanilla extract and vinegar. Add food coloring
6 - Slowly add the four mixture and mix until well incorporated.
7 - Fill the cupcake tins about 3/4 full.
8 - Bake for 15 to 20 min.

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