Mason’s Munchies: Fruit Tartish with Lemon Curd and Fresh Whipped Cream

Mango con Chile y Limon Cake

This idea came to me randomly a few weeks ago. I grew up in NY and it was a regular occurrence to see the street vendors selling baggies of mango or mangoes on a stick topped with chili powder. It took me a couple of weeks to figure out exactly how I wanted to incorporate these flavors.

There was a lot of trial and error. As usual, the goal is to flavor and color using natural, preferably fresh, ingredients. There were A LOT of mangoes (I think I used 7 or 8–all scraps and leftovers went into the freezer for smoothies).

The sponge is a basic vanilla sponge infused with fresh mango puree, lime and lemon zest, fresh cayenne (no stems or seeds) and cayenne pepper (more control over the spice level).

The first layer is buttercream and macerated fresh mango slices. The top layer is a lime-mango curd. It’s mostly sweet and creamy but there’s a tartness to it due to  lime juice.

The outside buttercream is flavored with a little smoked paprika, chili powder and a little cayenne plus lime juice and zest.

I taught myself to make mango roses, which serve as the decoration along with some whipped cream.

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Ingredients:

Sponge:

2 ½ C flour

1 ½ C sugar

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1/2 c milk

1/2 c butter, room temperature

4 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

¾ C mango puree

Spices (to taste): cayenne pepper, 2-5 cayenne peppers seeded and deveined, lemon zest, lime zest

Mango-Lime Curd:

1 large ripe mango

½ cup fresh lime juice

Squeeze of lemon juice

½- 1 tbsp of lime zest

½ tsp kosher salt

¾ cup sugar, divided (1/2:1/4)

3 large egg yolks

1 large egg

1 stick of butter, cubed or thinly sliced

Lime Simple Syrup:

3/4  cup of water

¼ cup of lime juice

1 cup of sugar

Vanilla Buttercream:

2 sticks softened butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Roughly 5 cups of powdered sugar

Spiced Buttercream (optional/to taste):

Vanilla Buttercream

Smoked paprika

Chili powder

Cayenne pepper

Lime zest

Reserve:

2 mango cheeks, thinly sliced

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Curd:

1. Slice fresh mango
   1. In a small bowl add sugar or simple syrup
   2. Toss to coat, let rest
2. In a food processor, puree mango and transfer to a sauce pan
3. Add lime zest and juice, salt and ½ c sugar
4. Simmer while stirring until sugar dissolves
5. Option 1: in a bowl, whisk eggs and remaining sugar until the yellow lightens
6. Carefully and slowly stream in about half of the hot mango mixture into the eggs
   1. This is called tempering, do not rush this or you will cook the eggs
7. Strain
8. Pour the egg and mango mixture back into the sauce pan and whisk constantly until it thickens
   • Do not let this boil
9. Option 2: Combine ingredients and whisk constantly over a double boiler until it thickens
10. Once thickened, remove from heat and add the butter a few pieces at a time and stir until fully incorporated before adding the next few
11. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto the top of the curd so it doesn’t develop a weird skin
    1. Chill for 2-24 hours

Simple Syrup:

1. In a sauce pan, combine the ingredients
2. Simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved
3. Refrigerate and store in a container

Sponge: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease and parchment 2 9”round cake pans or 3 8” round cake pans
3. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and gelatin using the paddle attachment
4. Add the softened butter
5. Add the vanilla
6. Add the milk
7. Add the egg whites, beat to combine
8. Scrape down bowl
9. Add mango puree
10. Slowly incorporate the spices and the zest
    • I recommend starting with a teaspoon of zest and working up
    • I recommend starting with a dash of cayenne
    • Optional: seed and devein cayenne peppers and finely dice, start with a small amount and work your way up
    • My proportions were zest > cayenne pepper>cayenne peppersDivide cake between cake pans
11. Bake until they pass the toothpick test
12. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pans
13. Carefully poke some holes into the cake (not all the way through)
14. Carefully spoon some of the syrup over the sponges and allow to rest so they can fully sop up the goodness

Vanilla Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium until the butter looks white and fluffy
2. Add vanilla
3. On low speed, slowly and carefully add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time
4. Slowly increase the speed and whip until well incorporated
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all of your sugar is used

Spiced Buttercream (Optional):

1. Split ½-3/4 of the vanilla buttercream
2. Starting with a small amount, slowly add the spices and TASTE adjusting for your preference
   1. My proportions were zest>chili powder> smoked paprika> cayenne
   2. This was a sweet and flavorful buttercream that left a curious and slightly spicy finish

Assembly:

Bottom layer: Sponge

Next layer: Buttercream and the macerated mangoes (shake off excess liquid)

Next layer: Sponge

Next layer: Buttercream perimeter filled with curd

Next layer: Sponge

© 2019 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved

Strawberry-Raspberry Poptart Cupcakes

I make my son special cupcakes for his birthday each year. When I asked him what he wanted this year he told me he wanted a Poptart cupcakes and I kind of just stared at him. Frankly it just sounded like a lot of work and there was no guarantee that I could pull it off because who the hell has heard of Poptart cupcakes. At first I was going to blow him off and just “you get what you get what” him.

 

But I started playing with the idea.

 

I went to the Google to see if I was on the right track. I was surprised to find that all of the other recipes I saw were….not like this. So I sat down and worked it out and this is what I came up with. I fully intend on doing these again. There are just so many flavor-filling options!

 

We prefer strawberry Poptarts. I decided to pump up the berry by adding raspberry to the mixture. I matched the tangy raspberry with the tart lemon juice. The jam is bright and tart, so it cuts through the sweetness of the other components. The jam would be amazing on a croissant *drool*.

It may look like a lot of work but just break it up into steps. Some things you can make ahead. This is my suggested order:

1. Cupcake
2. Jam
3. Icing
4. Decorate

 

Ingredients:

Vanilla Cupcakes

For Jam:

1 pint of raspberries

1 cup of roughly chopped strawberries

1/4-1/2  sugar

1/8 c water

1/8 c lemon juice

Tsp lemon zest

 

For Icing:

2 egg whites, room temperature

4+ c confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1 ½ c melted white sugar morsels

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp water, if needed

 

Decorations:

Pieces of poptart

Strawberry jello

Sugar crystals*

 

1. Prepare the vanilla cupcakes

For the jam:

2. Combine the liquids and the sugar
3. Stir until sugar melts
4. Add berries
5. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer
6. Simmer covered until the berries start to break down (you can smush to help it along)
7. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently until the liquid begins to evaporate and the mixture thickens (this is called reducing).
8. Taste and adjust to your preference.
9. You want a pretty thick, scoop-able consistency but honestly, you just don’t want it watery. Otherwise your sponge will just sop it up and then your filling won’t be much of a filling.
10. Set aside to cool. (This is an easily adjustable recipe, this was more than enough for 12 cupcakes and breakfast toast the next day.)

For the icing:

1. While the cupcakes are cooling, melt the white chocolate over a double boiler
2. Set aside to cool
3. In your stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat the whites until they’re fluffy
4. Add vanilla extract
5. Slowly incorporate some of the powdered sugar
6. Mix in the white chocolate
7. Continue adding the sugar
8. 1. Here is where I hiccupped, my icing was way drippier than I wanted. Add as much sugar as you need to achieve a thick-spread that won’t drip down a bunch.
9. Prepare your decorations
10. 1. I could not find crystal sprinkles so I made colored sugar*
11. Poke your finger or a cylindrical tool deep into the cupcakes to form a divot. You don’t want to poke through the cake
12. Fill the divots with the cooled jam
13. Spread the thick icing on top
14. Stick in poptart pieces
15. Sprinkle with sprinkles or sugar and strawberry jello

 

Happy 8^th Birthday, kid.

 

© 2019 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved

Simple Vanilla Cupcake

This is my go to vanilla cupcake recipe. Because it’s such a perfect vehicle, I use this as the base for 90% of my cupcakes.

I don’t generally like a super sweet sponge because usually I am loading it up with buttercream, chocolate or fillings. So I often opt to use less sugar. If you enjoy a sweeter cupcake then I suggest 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Some recipes call for milk or cream, however, I substitute sour cream. This yields a moister cake. That’s a 1:1 ratio. So if you prefer to use milk or cream or if that’s all you have, just remember it’s a direct conversion

Simple Vanilla

 

 

Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1⅓ cups AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup light sour cream

 

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350F

Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Using your paddle attachment and your stand mixer, cream (beat together) the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Scrape the bowl as necessary.

Add eggs one at a time. Make sure the first is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Turn the mixer down to slow.

Add half of the dry ingredients

Add sour cream

Add remaining dry ingredients

Be careful not to overmix the batter but be sure that everything is well incorporated.

Divide the batter into the tins. This is enough for 12 decent size cupcakes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, toothpick check and cool on a wire rack.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake

Last year I posted the recipe for my Red Velvet Cheesecake. This is almost the exact same recipe except I tinkered with the cheesecake, buttercream and decorations.

I will not bore you with a story about my grandma’s time on the farm when she milked a cow and made her own white chocolate.

 

I will just say this is labor intensive. Plan ahead. Be organized. Make. Your. Cheesecake. Ahead. Of. Time. And I do recommend using a quality white chocolate (I used Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bars).

 

Aside from the white chocolate, the pictures show double the cheesecake unlike my previous Red Velvet Cheesecake. This is not required but I wanted to show out because baking is therapy and I needed to do. So, yeah. This is pretty legit.

 

Oh, did I mention that white chocolate is in the cheesecake and the buttercream AND as a topping? Yeah.

 

Too legit.

 

To quit (rimshot).

 

 

Cheesecake:

 

2-8oz cream cheese, room temp

1 C sugar

3 tbsp sour cream, room temp

½ tbsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

½ tbsp. corn starch

1/8 tsp salt

4 oz melted white chocolate

 

i always love The Spread

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Place a heat-resistant bowl on top of a pot with a small amount of water. Bring it to a boil and lower to a simmer. Put your white chocolate pieces (as close as you can get to same size) in the bowl. Stir occasionally as it melts. Remove from the pot when it’s like 90% melted, continue stirring until the carry over heat melts the remaining chocolate.
   

   please don’t skimp on the chocolate

   

   my widdle piggy is fun Marshall’s

3. At the same time, preferably, start your mixer and whip the softened cream cheese.
4. Add the sour cream
5. Add the sugar and vanilla
6. Add the corn starch
7. Add the eggs one at a time
8. Scrape down the sides, mix until combined.
   1. You don’t want to see any large flecks of cream cheese, small specks are okay.
9. Add the slightly cooled white chocolate to the cheesecake mixture, combine well.
   

   white chocolate being added to the cheesecake batter

10. Cut a circle large enough to fit into the bottom of a 9” cake pan
11. Spray with cooking spray, place parchment
12. Pour cheesecake mixture into the pan, gently tap the pan on your counter to release any bubbles
13. Bake for roughly an hour
14. The cheesecake will be slightly jiggly in the center, a tad firmer towards the edges
    1. This cheesecake is a filling so some browning and cracks are fine. No one is going to see this. This is basically sacrilegious for traditional cheesecake, I know, but trust me.
    2. If it starts getting too Beyonce Bronze, tent it loosely with some foil.
15. Allow the cheesecake to cool
16. Cover with plastic wrap and allow cheesecake to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight preferably

 

 

Red Velvet Sponge

 

2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2-3 tbsp cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup of buttermilk, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp red food coloring (more or less to suit your preference)

1 tsp white vinegar

Pro tip: Boost your cocoa flavor by adding ½ cup of very strong coffee or instant espresso!! Remember when I used this technique in brownies?

 

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F

In the bowl of your mixer, combine your dry ingredients

 

In a medium bowl, first combine your sugar and oil then add in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and food coloring

 

Add in your vinegar

 

Add in your coffee or espresso if you’re going to use  it

With your mixer on low, slowly incorporate the wet into the dry bit by bit

Note: This is not a thick batter

 

Grease and flour two 9” cake pans and divide batter into 3-4 cupcake tins plus the pans

(This can also be used just for cupcakes, freeze any excess batter in a ziplock bag for next time!)

Bake for 30-35 minutes in the center of the oven, start checking for doneness around 30 minutes

(your cupcakes will be done quicker, check for doneness around 16 minutes)

When the cake passes the toothpick test remove from the oven and cool on a rack then cool upside down to help flatten out the tops

While cooling, whip up some buttercream

 

 

 

Vanilla Buttercream:

2 sticks softened butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Roughly 5 cups of powdered sugar

3 oz white chocolate melted, reserve 1 oz for decoration

 

Repeat the steps from above to melt 3 oz white chocolate

In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium until the butter looks light and fluffy

Add vanilla

On low speed, slowly and carefully add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time

Slowly increase the speed and whip until well incorporated

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all of your sugar is used

Add slightly cooled white chocolate and whip until incorporated

Leftover buttercream can be stored in the freezer in a ziplock bag.

 

 

The Show:

 

Once completely cooled stack sponge-cheesecake-sponge

Spread your buttercream on the sides and top of the cake—work quickly or make sure the room is warm. The buttercream will seize and harden because of the white chocolate.

(It will create a sort of ganache around the cake, so don’t be alarmed. Do you’re best. No one is going to really see this).

 

Crumble up your cupcakes and sprinkle on/around your cake

 

Nuke your remaining ounce of white chocolate at 10 second intervals, slightly warm but not soft.

 

Use a vegetable peeler and start peeling carefully on the straightest edge. Use your ribbons to decorate how you see fit.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

 

© 2019  by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved

 

Simple Vanilla Cheesecake Filling

This can absolutely be used for a traditional cheesecake with a graham cracker or cookie crust. I’m posting this separate from my other ‘cheesecake’ recipes so it’s less confusing to figure out how to recreate the filling.

I’ve used this recipe for the Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cheesecake and the Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake.

Ingredients:

2-8oz cream cheese, room temp

1 C sugar

3 tbsp sour cream, room temp

½ tbsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

½ tbsp. corn starch

1/8 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. In the bowl of your mixer, whip the softened cream cheese.
3. Add the sour cream
4. Add the sugar and vanilla
5. Add the corn starch
6. Add the eggs one at a time
7. Scrape down the sides, mix until combined
   1. You don’t want to see any large flecks of cream cheese, small specks are okay.
8. Cut a circle large enough to fit into the bottom of a 9” cake pan
9. Spray with cooking spray, place parchment
10. Pour cheesecake mixture into the pan, gently tap the pan on your counter to release any bubbles
11. Bake for roughly an hour
    1. The cheesecake will be slightly jiggly in the center, a tad firmer towards the edges
    2. This cheesecake is a filling so some browning and cracks are fine. No one is going to see this. This is basically sacrilegious for traditional cheesecake, I know, but trust me.
12. Allow the cheesecake to cool
13. Cover with plastic wrap and allow cheesecake to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight preferably

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2019 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved

 

 

The Most Perfect Carrot Cake Cupcakes Ever!

My baby is turning six tomorrow. I couldn’t figure out what kind of cupcakes to make him. My mama (his grandma) suggested carrot cake. I thought it would be a challenge, as I’ve never made carrot cake before, but I decided that it sounded fun enough. We took a family trip to the market and I set off to work.

Each step of the way I was unsure of how good they would turn out. And then…..I gave them the final product. Everyone said they are the perfect carrot cake cupcake. I’m taking them at their word. You let me know you what you think. Also, wish my big boy a happy 6^th birthday!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon clove

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups grated carrots (14-16 oz)

⅔ cup oil

2 eggs, beaten

½ tsp vanilla extract

 

Cream cheese buttercream:

8 oz cream cheese (room temp)

8 tbsp butter (room temp)

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl or your stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the grated carrots and the oil. (Tip: grate your carrots in your food processor to save time).

Slowly add the carrot and oil mixture until just mixed.

Slowly add the beaten eggs until just mixed. Try not to over mix the batter.

Place your liners into your muffin tin or grease your tin.

Fill each groove to about 2/3 of the way.

Bake for about 12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and they spring back when you press them.

Allow your cupcakes to cool.

 

While they cool, make your buttercream.

 

Whip your butter, cream cheese and vanilla together.

Slowly add your powdered sugar one cup at a time (mixer on low).

Once all of the sugar is added and you’ve scraped down the sides, turn the mixer on med-high and whip for 1-2 minutes.

Transfer the buttercream to a ziplock bag or a piping bag (or whatever you use) and ice the cupcakes.

If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with thinly shaven carrots.

 

© 2017 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved