Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes – soft cupcakes with a refreshing orange flavor, topped with orange whipped cream and sprinkles. Price available upon request.
freshly squeezed
I am loving oranges right now. This cupcake has the most wonderful orange flavor, from the frosting to the cupcake. Methinks the orange sprinkles have some hint of orange taste, too. The cupcake base is similar to the Mimosa and Chocolate Naranja, soft and bursting with orange goodness and heady aroma. The whipped cream topping, infused with freshly squeezed orange juice and zest, intensifies the overall citrusy flavor. The “orange segments” and “seeds” are made with white chocolate and filled with the sprinkles.
With extra cupcakes to frost, I tried a Lindt Excellence Intense Orange dark chocolate bar for the glaze to make Chocolate Naranja cupcakes. The chocolate has pieces of orange and almond slivers and while these added an interesting texture to the glaze, somehow the “intense” orange flavor diminished. Verdict: I will reserve the Lindt chocolate for my chocolate binge and will stick to using orange oil to flavor my Chocolate Naranja topping.
With the success of these orange cupcakes, I will be trying a calamansi version soon. 
May 19th, 2009
Nutella Hazelnut Cupcakes – chocolate cupcakes with a generous filling of Nutella and topped with ganache made of more Nutella and chopped hazelnuts. Price available upon request.
crazy over nutella
Nutella (“new-tell-uh”) is a creamy spread made from ground hazelnuts, skim milk and cocoa. It is traditionally spread on bread but it is just as good (maybe even better) eaten out of the jar.
This chocolate cupcake is generously filled with Nutella (two teaspoonsfull!) and the topping is a chunky ganache made with cream, Nutella and chopped hazelnuts. This is my cupcake version of a well-known small chocolate confection with wafer and hazelnut center, enrobed in chocolate mixed with chopped hazelnuts and wrapped in gold foil. I was also tempted to name this cupcake after that confection but I might be sued by the Italian chocolatier who manufactures these!
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nutella: origins
Nutella was produced in the 1940s in Italy by Pietro Ferrero. It was World War II and cocoa was scarce so Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts to extend the chocolate supply. Called pasta gianduja, it was first made in loaf form and wrapped in tin foil to be sliced and placed in between bread slices to make sandwiches. A spreadable version packaged in a jar was soon made and this later on came to be known as Nutella. Nutella became so popular that it led to “The Smearing”. Children could go to their local food stores with a slice of bread for a “smear” of this “supercrema gianduja.”
Nutella can now be found in 75 countries and is reported to outsell all brands of peanut butter combined worldwide.
source: Nutella USA
May 15th, 2009
