77
C
upcake - “a very small cake that is baked in a pan shaped like a cup” - Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
hese individual sized desserts have been making appearances at kid’s birthday parties as long as you can remember and became a pop culture phenomenon after Carrie and Miranda indulged in Magnolia Cupcakes on Sex and the City. While they originally came about in the 19th century to save time on baking cakes in hearth ovens, they have maintained staying power and are now perceived as a gourmet indulgence that can be enjoyed by all.
T
Like most “trends”, the gourmet cupcake started in New York City with Magnolia Bakery coming on the scene in 1996. Their heavenly, uniquely decorated, bite size treats were seen as “overpriced” by some, but still had customers lining up around the block at their original West Village location to get their sugar fix. Magnolia is still killin’ the cupcake game with close to ten locations and Sex and the City fans paying homage to the O.G. gourmet cupcake with a stop on the official Sex and the City Tour. You would think that over twenty years, this whole cupcake concept would be played out, but when you think about it, you can translate almost any flavor you desire into a cupcake. Having one of those days where you want cookies, cheesecake, AND cake? Problem solved - make a crust out of cookie dough, fill a cupcake with cheesecake, and throw some cookie dough buttercream on top. Done. We’re NoRA Cupcake Company - hailing from the North End of Middletown, CT with recent retail expansions to West Hartford and Canton. As you can gather from our name, we make cupcakes. A lot of cupcakes. 300+ flavors of cupcakes. When you’re surrounded by cupcakes and only cupcakes - you have to keep creating so that you and your customer base don’t get bored. That’s the beauty with our product - what some people may consider a basic dessert can actually be translated into any flavor you’re craving. Having one of those days where you want cookies, cheesecake, AND cake? Problem solved make a crust out of cookie dough, fill a cupcake with cheesecake, and throw some cookie dough buttercream on top. The options are endless. If you’re looking to kick up your dessert game, translating your favorite cocktails into cupcake form is the way to go. (While there isn’t usually enough alcohol in the treats to get a buzz on, we would suggest NOT serving these at kid’s parties). With all the craft beers and flavor infused liquors that have come onto the scene in the past few years, there is certainly no shortage of flavors to play around with. Using a flavorful stout or porter in your chocolate cake is not only a way to incorporate additional flavor, but can also improve the quality of your batter. When you sub out your liquid base with a dark brew, it adds a whole new dimension on flavor. Many stouts or porters have chocolate undertones that combined with their hops will give the cake an intense velvety finish that balances well with the already sweet batter.
The carbonation of the beer aids in keeping the cake moist and the batter rising. Subbing it into your recipes is simple - replace your liquid base with the beer and you are good to go. Guinness is always a safe and well known bet but feel free to experiment with any other dark beers that may cater to your palette. If chocolate isn’t your thing, there are ways to zest up your vanilla cake as well. Using champagne as a substitute for your liquid base is a bubbly twist that adds flavor and you can almost taste the carbonation as you are eating it. It’s perfect for a strawberries n’ cream type of cake - and fear not chocolate lovers, you can use it in your chocolate cake too. Let’s be real, when is champagne NOT an appropriate substitute for anything in life!? While the options are endless for booze that you can bake with, here are a few of our favorite infusions broken out into cake and frosting.
Chocolate Stout Cake Without a doubt, stouts beers compliment a chocolate cake best. When you sub out your liquid base with a stout, it adds a whole new dimension on flavor and moistness. Many stouts have chocolate undertones that combined with their hops will give the cake an intense velvety finish that balances well with the already sweet batter.
Vanilla Champagne Cake Champagne cake is great for any festive celebration, or really anytime because it’s just that good. The bubbly adds a bit of bitterness that cuts out some of the sweetness of vanilla cake and pairs especially well with strawberry.
Kahlua Whipped Cream Frosting We use Kahlua Coffee Liqueur in our White Russian Cupcake frosting and it is HEAVENLY. The sweet fluffiness of the whipped cream combined with the boozy coffee flavor of Kahlua is light enough that you will have to stop yourself from eating a whole bowl before it even gets to the cupcake. As we said earlier, most of the alcohol content is “baked out” when using booze in cake while the flavor remains. If you are looking for that extra punch, incorporate your favorite liquors into your ganaches, caramels, fillings, and frostings. Since you aren’t baking these liquids out, the flavor will be that much more potent. You can infuse any frosting or filling with whatever libation you’re feeling - whiskeys, coffee liqueurs, cordials, you name it. Don’t be afraid to experiment, if it doesn’t come out to your liking - you’ve still got the bottle to indulge! The only cocktail we’ve ever come across that we couldn’t translate into a cupcake is a Bloody Mary (and not for lack of trying - somethings are just better left as is). If you’re not the baking type but are in need of a boozy sugar fix, come visit us at NoRA Cupcake Company in Middletown, West Hartford, and Canton. Or check us out at www.noracupcake.com We rotate thru 300 plus flavors with a selection of 18 flavors a day in store and are still experimenting daily.