Two years have passed since I began my journey in this blog. After debating on whether I should do it or not for a long time, I decided to become one of those foodies out there. Call it ambition, call it creativity, in my mind I would create tasty recipes and take beautiful photos of them afterwards. Like the photos I kept seeing in other blogs and on instagram. Looking back to when I started and where I am now, I have to confess I still feel like I just started and I have so many things to learn and change. Creativity is still there and has developed even more. People start recognizing my work and I feel more proud of what I create every time.
I am not a full-time blogger like most of people, but I don't mind. It is my hobby and my secret passion, I do it first of all for me and then to share my passion with other people, you. I know this blog could have more success and more followers on instagram, but at the end of the day it is a pesonal escape for me when I feel lost or blue or inspired. So, when I get to talk with people who like my blog, I want them to reach out to me because they find inspiration in what I do and are somewhat on the same boat as me...
On this note, I would like to announce that I have been nominated for best cooking blog at the Food Blog Awards 2016 hosted by greek food magazine "Vima Gourmet". I was so happy when I got an email from them saying I was selected for a nomination this year. It is the second year of the awards and there are 32 blogs selected for 7 categories. All of the blogs are very creative and full of delicious recipes, so be sure to have a look at each one of them! So, in order to celebrate this happy announcement and the two years of this blog I made these gingerbread cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream frosting. I also made with the same recipe a cake and took it to a friend's birthday party, but I didn't get to photograph at.
Christmas is getting closer and Zurich is being decorated with lights everywhere. In this holiday spirit I am trying to make all these kinds of holiday desserts and meals. If you love spices like me then you must love the gingerbread cupcakes. It's moist, smells like Christmas and the cream cheese buttercream frosting gives it the sweetness it deserves. This recipe is best if you have kids, since kids love baking sweets and they could be a big help (or not). You can do the same recipe as a cake or smaller cakes. Put on some holiday songs, like Frank Sinatra or Michael Buble and enjoy baking these beauties.
Gingerbread cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting
ingredients (for small cupcakes)
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar or white
2 large eggs
3 cups shifted flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon clove
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup boiled water
cream cheese frosting
200gr cream cheese
180gr softened butter
1 cup shifted icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
for decorating: white chocolate sprinkles
How do I make it?
1. In a mixing bowl of a standing mixer or with a hand mixer, blend well together the oil, sugar and molasses. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at a time. Mix until smooth.
2. In seperate bowl add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg together. Pour the mixture slowly in the wet mixture and mix until a somewhat think batter is created.
3. Boil the water and add the baking powder inside. Quickly transfer it to the think mixture and mix together very well. The mixture will start to become lighter once again and more liquid.
4. Preheat oven to 180 C. Butter a muffin pan for 12 cupcakes. With a tablespoon start adding 1 or two large tablespoons from the mixture to the cupcake pan for every cupcake. When you are done, put the pan in the over and bake for 20-25 minutes. Taste the cupcakes by inserting a toothpick inside. If it comes out clean then your cupcakes are done. (hint: for a cake you will need double the time of baking, so 40 minutes)
5. When the cupcakes are done remove from the over and let them cool completely. Start making the cream cheese buttercream frosting. In a clean bowl mix together the soft butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla. Make sure you have shifted the sugar, otherwise there would be lumps inside your buttercream and it will become nasty.
6. If the buttercream is a bit runny from all the mixing, put it in the fridge for some minutes. Using an icing bag start decorating your cupcakes. You can use whichever tip you want!
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