CulturalFest Cupcakes - part 2

I told you about the cupcakes I made for CulturalFest last week, right? Read my previous, previous blog entry if you haven't. Long story short, so we promised an additional 1-dozen of cupcakes for future occasion to the auction winner, in addition to 1-dozen cupcakes they get on the day of. Anyways, I heard back from the cupcakes auction winner, and we happen to work on the same building! We've been communicating through email for her other 1-dozen cupcakes. We decided that I would make her 6 each of triple chocolate cupcakes and dulce de leche cupcakes.

I started with devil's food cake batter for the triple chocolate, and yellow butter cake for dulce de leche. Now here are the fun parts (these directions are for 12 cupcakes each):

For triple chocolate, I dipped the devil's food cupcake into warm chocolate ganache (1 cup bitter sweet chocolate, melted, and stir in 1/3 cup heavy cream), and frost them with chocolate ganache buttercream (the rest of the cooled ganache, whipped with 1/2 cup of softened butter and tiny pinch of salt). (left: cupcakes dipped in ganache before frosted; right: frosted cupcakes)




For dulce de leche, I cored each cupcake and filled they with caramel, and frost them with caramel swiss buttercream (recipe from Martha Stewart). From the same recipe, I made full recipe of caramel sauce, use 2/3 to fill the cupcakes, and 1/3 for buttercream (just third the rest of the recipe). Drizzle the leftover caramel sauce on top.

Cupcakes, finally! FIUTS CulturalFest 2011

I guess, I'm overdue to post something about cupcakes. I made three different kinds of cupcakes for two big events this week: CulturalFest 2011 and Cafe Newman.

I don't quite remember my first CulturalFest, I'm guessing the first one I've been to was in 2004(?). It was very small, well compared to what we had yesterday, and was held in the old HUB ballroom, which is not even existed anymore. I remembered the old cultural show was done while the booth exhibition was happening in the same room! Anyhow, a couple years back, my student board team decided to change the format of the show, and made it into a more proper, seat down, theater-kind of experience, which are more conducive to both performers and audience. We started small, by having the show done at the Ethnic Cultural Center Theater, which seats around 250. For two years in a row, we had sold-out audience. Then we thought, we should make CulturalFest even bigger, and that it can potentially be a great venue to do some annual fund-raising for FIUTS. We had this idea brewed for about 6 months; it finally came into reality last night (Stacy- I'm trying to use more semicolons on my writings!). CulturalFest is now a day-long grand festivity that involves around a thousand or so people, including both domestic and international students, scholars, and community members. We almost filled the entire Meany Hall last night, which was such and accomplishment (Meany is a huge two-levels theater).


In addition to the cultural exhibition and show, we also had a VIP reception and a silent auction, hence the cupcakes. I (well I means my dad) contributed the "Balinese experience" auction item, which includes 5 nights stay at our property in Ubud, Bali (Biyukukung Suites and Spa), a Bali travel book, and a personal 1-hour long travel advice from... ehmm... ME! Okay, wondering where the cupcakes come into play here? I also contributed 2-dozens of cupcakes for the baked goods package auction item (also includes a homemade pie by Anita Croft, the former FIUTS executive director back in Hula's and Koko's old days...). In all, I can (and shamelessly will) bragged about generating around $340 for the silent auction income: the Bali package pitched in $300, while the baked goods generated ~$40. If you're interested in reading more about FIUTS mission, visit their website here. And for those who lost the Bali auction, check out the website above, or give me a call / e-mail.

Oh right, since this is my baking blog, I should tell you more about the cupcakes; after all, they are why you're reading this blog, right? So as I mentioned, I made three kind of cupcakes (notice the Valentine's day theme here):






Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes
Eggless chocolate cake (which amazingly moist), recipe here, with Reese's peanut butter cup sneaked inside the cake.
Topped with peanut butter frosting and adorned with Reese's Pieces.









Pink lemonade cupcakes
Lemon cake, topped with lemon cream cheese frosting, and adorned with pink sugar and candied pink lemon.










Traditional Red Velvet Cupcakes
Southern red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, adorned with heart shaped sugar decoration.









Ahhh.... I feel like those bakers describing their cupcakes creation on Cupcake Wars.

These cupcakes also made it into Friday evening's Cafe Newman bake sale (proceed goes to Newman Grad-young adult and music ministries). I haven't heard how they went, but I hope they generated some money for the ministries!

The first blog entry!

Hi everyone,



Many of you have asked if I would ever documented all the baked goods that I've created these past couple of years! As many of you said, cupcakes are my speciality. But I also made cakes and recently I'm into baking rustic breads. You might have seen them on the lab lunch table, FIUTS office, events, 'the blue house', potlucks, or other gatherings. And now, you can follow what comes out from my oven anywhere you are (and checked where they're destined for). I'll post my old baking creations here and there.


warning: I often modified or even came out with my own recipe, and despite of my science background, I don't often write those down. So if I don't post the recipe, doesn't mean that I don't want to share it with you, I just simply don't remember!



Enjoy!



ps: don't forget to check our party planning blog too that Kim and I started! We do make cakes for your special occasions!