Butter Lane: Putting the Butter Back in Buttercream

It's Spring Dinner Party part 3, and today we're talking dessert. Luckily, I wasn't in charge of dessert this time, since I was busy cooking up other things, like hearty beef brisket. And after my mom explained her desire to test out Butter Lane Bakery, Kimmi and I decided it was a no-brainer...Dessert from Butter Lane it would be! A sweet little bakery in the East Village, Butter Lane prides itself on being the cupcake for adults. It solidifies its adult status as a Butter Lane cupcake is made with pure ingredients, like real butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla bean and real cocoa and the end result is nothing short of heavenly. Oh, and yes, that is in fact popcorn on the caramel cupcake....say it with me...'mmmmm'.

With mouth-watering flavors like banana, espresso, caramel, classic vanilla bean, chocolate and more, you pretty much can't go wrong at Butter Lane. The cake is airy and a bit crumbly (nothing like the decandently fudgy Irish Car Bomb cupcakes), the frosting is smooth and buttery. So buttery in fact, that they really put the butter back in buttercream. When faced with a super sugary laden Magnolia Bakery cupcake, it feels as though I'm just eating straight sugar. But not the Butter Lane frosting. In perhaps a real tribute to its name, the frosting is actually refreshingly buttery (ever think you'd hear the words refreshing & butter together?) with a hint of sweetness...and it's silky smooth to boot. No individual sugar granules here, and I'm not complaining. I mean, really, see those little vanilla bean specs? Yum!
And the sweet packaging is really just the icing on the cake, so to speak. It's reminiscent of my recent penchant for basic craft paper wrapping with twine to tie it all together (the exact way that I wrapped birthday gifts for this very evening). With a simple black stamp of Butter Lane gracing the packaging, it doesn't get more rustic, organic, and classic than this.

So that's Butter Lane. And while Magnolia got me through my NYU years, I guess Butter Lane really is for grown ups. What do you think? Have you tried Butter Lane? Do you like a super sugary buttercream, or more of a silky smooth kind?

Psst...can't get enough cupcake love? Check out Baked by Melissa, Key Lime in the Coconut Cupcakes, Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, Soutine, and Baba Booey's Peanutastic Cupcakes...

The Icing on the Cake

Everyone's heard of 'doctoring' up a boxed cake mix. I think that what it really comes down to is the frosting. Am I alone in my distaste for canned frosting? I'll admit, I have dabbled in straight-out-of-the-can style frosting, and the one flavor I'm okay with on cake is chocolate. And trust me, it's not like I would refuse it if presented in front of me. But in my opinion, real frosting is the only way to go, even on a boxed cake mix. And honestly? It couldn't be easier. If you recall my Key Lime in the Coconut Cupcakes, you may also recall my rant for the love of good frosting. It's just a necessity. And once you realize how easy it is, I'm confident that you'll feel similarly.

As a treat at my holiday cocktail party, I whipped up some mini chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate frosting. My sister Kimberly provided the adorable snowman mini cupcake wrappers and decorations and they were the perfect vehicle for a holiday treat and mini-sized for a perfect cocktail party food. Using Betty Crocker's SuperMoist Devil's Food chocolate cake mix and a mini muffin tin, I was on my way to the perfect confection. For the frosting, I consulted The Cupcake Deck by Elinor Klivans and her recipe for White Christmas Cupcakes. Though the cake part called for a vanilla cake batter, what can I say? I'm a sucker for chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. So that's what I made.

White Christmas Cupcakes Frosting

3 oz white chocolate, chopped (I use Baker's chocolate)

1/4 C (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature (leave it out of the fridge the night before)

4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (leave it out of the fridge the night before)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

Melt the chopped white chocolate (for a handy tutorial on this, check out this article). Place in large bowl and with electric mixer (I use my red stand mixer, but a hand mixer will also be just fine) add the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla to chocolate and beat on low until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, mixing until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. I like to beat the frosting longer than suggested, since I like it super smooth and super fluffy. Once finished, dress your cupcakes with the frosting, give 'em a taste test, and vow to never go back to the canned stuff. See? I told you it was super easy!

So what are your thoughts on the frosting sitch? Love the canned stuff? Hate it? Are you willing to give the homemade frosting a try? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Bark Up This Holiday Tree: Chocolate Bark Three Ways

As promised, we're ending the week with a little tutorial on making the easiest holiday snack of all time. It's chocolate bark, and today I'm serving it up 3 ways to satisfy almost any taste bud. Let's get down to the goods, shall we?

Hold up. Before we go any further, how about a quick lesson in chocolate melting? I refuse to give in to the double boiler, so I go with the good old-fashioned microwave instead. I've done this many, many times and burned many, many bowls of chocolate, so I think it's only right to give you, dear reader, a quick rundown.

Here's how I get it done:

Place chopped chocolate in a shallow bowl (yup, if you aren't using chocolate chips, you really need to give it a rough chop for the chocolate to melt evenly - if you are in fact using chips, carry on as is). Microwave chopped chocolate at 15 second intervals (trust me! I have burned a LOT of chocolate in my day - don't be tempted to add additional time, even when after the first couple of intervals it will seems as, though nothing is happening...do not give in. It must be at 15 second intervals), stirring in between each time, even when it seems like nothing is happening. It will.
When the chocolate seems like it's just about done, but still has a few lumps, remove from the microwave and stir quickly. This will melt the remainder of chocolate chunks without microwaving, and therefore burning, the already fully melted part. It should look something like this:

That's it. Now enjoy perfectly melted, photo op quality chocolate.

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Bark
4-5 oz white chocolate, roughly chopped (I use Baker's Chocolate, found in any grocery store baking aisle and premeasured into 1 oz squares)
1/3C Dried cranberries
1 tsp Orange zest
After melting your white chocolate, stir in dried cranberries and orange zest. Step lightly, as the chocolate will cool off and harden very, very quickly. Immediately spread out in a thin layer on a sheet pan - I lined mine with parchment paper for easy removal and clean-up. It may require a bit of elbow grease to spread it out, but use a spatula, get your hands dirty, and get 'er done. Let sit for a few minutes and then press aluminum foil down on the bark to hold it in place.

The next morning, with foil still on, bang all over with rolling pin. Remove foil, and break up pieces with your hands.

The result: A creamsicle tasting piece of goodness. The dried cranberries cut out some of the super white chocolate sweetness, leaving a perfect flavor combination that I will be devouring as soon as the clock strikes noon.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Bark
6 oz semisweet, white, or milk chocolate
1/3 C Dried cherries, chopped
1/3 C Slivered almonds, toasted in small pan for about 2 min - don't let them burn!!
After melting your semisweet chocolate, stir in cherries and almonds. Repeat steps above.

And after a night of cooling and being bammed with a rolling pin...

The result: I'm a huge fan of dried cherries so I had high hopes for this one. It did disappoint, however. I went with the semisweet chocolate and I think it was just too bitter to counterbalance the sour cherries. Next time, I'm going milk or white chocolate and I think it will be the winning combo I'm looking for.

Traditional Peppermint Bark
6 oz Semi-sweet chocolate
1 C White chocolate chips
4 Candy canes, crushed
1/2 tsp Peppermint extract
Melt semisweet chocolate and stir in peppermint extract. Spread out on sheet pan and let sit until semi-hardened. Next, temper white chocolate (I used chips here because I ran out of Baker's Chocolate) and carefully spread out on top of the semisweet chocolate. Mine ended up running together a bit, but it doesn't have to be perfect. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top and press down with aluminum foil.

When it's all put together...

Keep aluminum foil on top of bark, as above, and the next morning you'll get...

The result: What can I say? Nothing beats a classic. This was my favorite of the bunch. Crunchy candy cane on mint chocolate is a dynamite combination in my book. And this version give Williams-Sonoma a serious run for their money.

Now, before you break it all up and reap the sweet rewards, you need to let these cool completely. Even when you think it's done, it's probably not. I'm hesitant to put in the refrigerator since it tends to turn the chocolate into crumbly gray. Instead, I recommend finding a very cool area, like the garage or in a particularly cold room in your home. I laid the pans out in my living room, which gets pretty darn cold in the evening hours. The next morning, with the bark still covered with foil, bang 'em with a rolling pin for an imperfect break. Enjoy!

So what do you think? Do any of these sweet confections make your sweet tooth tingle? Do you have any other holiday barks that you love this time of year?

*Note: I made these in very small batches since I was making all three in one night (all I can say is thank god I'm not a big chocolate eater or I'd be about 400 pounds). If you want more, adjust recipes accordingly.