Our contributor, Miso of Miso Bakes, is here with a new recipe for Valentine’s Day …

This Valentine’s Day, I wanted to keep it simple.  I realized most people prefer rich cheesecakes or silky mousse cakes during this loving holiday, so I figured a sugarpaste or buttercream tutorial would not be too practical.

Today, I would like to share how to make ladyfingers.  They are a must when it comes to making tiramisu and Charlotte Russe mousse cakes.  You may definitely use this recipe if you would like to create the mentioned cakes.  However, this time around, I used ladyfingers to decorate a cheesecake… that I purchased from my favorite bakery!  I told you I was keeping it simple, right?  If you aren’t pressed for time and have a favorite recipe, please feel free to bake it the day before and keep it well chilled.

Cheesecakes are divine, but to be honest, they are quite plain in appearance.  By all means, is perfect the way it is for those summer night barbecues or potluck, but for Valentine’s Day, you want your cheesecake to be dressed appropriately, too!

LADYFINGERS
recipe by Miso Bakes

 Ingredients:

4 large eggs, separated
35 grams of sugar (for yolks)
65 grams of sugar (for egg whites)
70 grams all-purpose flour
30 grams cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

STEP 1:  Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Spray 2 half-sheet pans (13×18) with nonstick spray and line with parchment.  Measure the height of the cake.  With a marker and small ruler, draw a line that is about half an inch taller than the height of the cake or mold.  Lightly spray top of parchment with nonstick.

STEP 2:  Mise-en-place: Prepare sugar, separate eggs, sift dry ingredients together and set aside.  It helps to coordinate your bowls since the recipe calls for two different measurements of sugar.

STEP 3:  In a stand mixer bowl, break the yolks and add vanilla extract and sugar.

STEP 4:  Whip on medium-high speed until the batter falls into itself in thick ribbons.  Transfer batter into a clean bowl and wash the stand mixer bowl, making sure there are no traces of egg yolk remaining. Dry the bowl with a kitchen towel. If there are traces of fat in your bowl or if your bowl is wet, your meringue will never happen. You will be heartbroken.

STEP 5:  Pour egg whites (make sure you have no traces of yolk in your whites) into bowl and whisk at medium-high speed until it looks like cappuccino foam.

STEP 6:  With the mixer still running, rain in sugar in three additions. Beat until your meringue is glossy and it looks like shaving cream.

STEP 7:  When you gently pick your whisk up, the meringue should have a little stiff peak. Or, if you feel brave enough, grab the bowl and flip it over. The meringue should cling onto the bowl and not plop out.

STEP 8:  Take a scoop of the meringue and fold it into your egg yolk mixture.  We call this the sacrifice as its purpose it lighten the thickness of the yolk batter before we fold more of the meringue in.  Once sacrifice is incorporated, fold in half of the remaining meringue until majority is incorporated but streaks of meringue still remain. (Picture 8)

STEP 9:  Gently add half of the dry mixture and again, fold until a few streaks of flour remain.

STEP 10:  Fold in remaining meringue.  Fold in remaining dry.  Your final product should look like this.

STEP 11:  Put batter into piping bag with round piping tip.  I wanted skinny fingers so I used a tip that was about 1 centimeter wide.  Pipe batter into fingers. Or, if you’re using the fingers as a band* around a cake, pipe side by side for easier application.  You may also pipe letters with the batter.

STEP 12:  Dust twice with powdered sugar.

STEP 13:  Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes.  Time may vary depending on size and oven.

NOTE:  If you are going to use the fingers as a band around a cake, measure the circumference of your cake so you know how long your band needs to be.

Completing the cheesecake:

STEP 14:  Melt a handful of chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the bowl does NOT touch the water.  Or, if you would like, you may microwave the chocolate in a bowl at 30-second increments.

STEP 15:  Pull cheesecake out of fridge.  Using a spoon or spatula, spread a thin layer of chocolate on bottom half of fingers.

STEP 16:  Adhere to cake. Continue all around.

STEP 17:  Tie a ribbon if you would like, and garnish to liking. I kept it simple and used strawberries. If you would like, you may brush the top of berries with a bit of warmed and strained apricot jam for a nice gloss.

I had extra batter, so I piped separate fingers, dusted them with cocoa and powdered sugar along with a sprinkling of almonds before I baked. They make wonderful accompaniments to coffee or tea.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Miso Bakes Miso is a monthly contributor for The Cake Blog. She is a talented pastry chef with a big passion for cakes. Read more about Miso on her bio page.

Pink, gold and gorgeous!  Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we have a dessert table to make your heart swoon.  Today’s elegant feature comes to us from Sweet! Magazine, a treasure of projects, ideas and inspiration for any baker who wants to create beautiful cakes.  We’re taking a peek inside the cover at one of the charming dessert tables this magazine has to offer.  With incredible styling by Avie & Lulu and cakes by Sweet Tiers, this display is oh-so-feminine with just the right amount of frill.  Ruffles, glitter, gold and a spectacular heart backdrop… it’s enough to make a girl giddy!

“Sweet magazine is all about cakes that taste as good as they look. We love the ritual of shopping for the freshest ingredients. We love to set up the prettiest parties. We love the excitement of preparation. We love the nostalgia that comes with a recipe from childhood days. And most of all we love to share it all with our friends and family. Sweet is full of cakes, bakes and pretty makes to inspire you in the heart of your home.”

There is so much to love about this display.  Pink macarons dusted in gold.  Cake pops adorned with tiny golden hearts and cupcakes topped with golden bows.  Dainty heart cookies and fluffy heart marshmallows.  And of course, the cakes!  I cannot get over all the delicate little blooms clustered into a perfect heart shape.  Talk about LOVE!  This setup would be incredible for any day celebrating love… from Valentine’s Day to a bridal shower!

What a wonderful way to head into the weekend.   Now that your heart is happy, go and enjoy your Friday!  We’ll be back on Monday with a brand new recipe tutorial for your Valentine’s baking.

VENDORS & CREDITS
Styling:  Avie & Lulu
Cakes, Macaroons & Cupcakes:  Sweet Tiers
Photography:  Lee Bird Photography
Flowers:  Bouquet Melbourne
Purchase the Magazine:  Sweet! Cakes, Bakes and Pretty Makes

Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., is here with a new Valentine’s recipe….

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, do you know what you are getting your sweetie this year?  While the standard box of chocolates and a dozen roses are a nice gesture, I’m encouraging you to step outside the norm and create a fabulous treat that will make this year’s Valentine’s Day just a little sweeter!  It all starts with a bottle of champagne and some fresh raspberries!  So grab a bottle of bubbly, no make that two, one to bake with and one to drink and get ready to wow that special someone with a batch of Champagne & Raspberry Cupcakes.

These cupcakes have been taste tested and given two thumbs up by my hubby so I’m sure you’re significant other will love them too! As I was browsing the champagne section at the store, I decided on Korbel Sweet Rose. Korbel is a pretty popular and affordable brand when it comes to champagne and I was drawn to the fact that they had a pink variety with a hint of raspberries, which was absolutely perfect for what I had in mind for these cupcakes! If you can’t find the Sweet Rose variety, don’t worry any champagne will do.

Champagne was used in both the cake and icing for this recipe. The cake turned out super moist and paired perfectly with a light and fluffy raspberry champagne buttercream. I love the subtle tint of pink in the icing from the pureed raspberries. These cupcakes are the perfect, simple and sophisticated treat for a romantic date night with your honey!

Champagne & Raspberry Cupcakes
recipe by Lauren Kapeluck
(makes 20 cupcakes)

For the cake:
2 3/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup champagne, room temperature (I used Korbel Sweet Rose)
5 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In medium bowl combine dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In bowl of stand mixer combine butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
5. Add the vanilla and mix.
   
6. Gradually add in the dry ingredients with the champagne alternately, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
8. Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
10. Once cupcake are completely cool frost with Raspberry Champagne Buttercream.

For the buttercream:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp pureed raspberries (strained to remove seeds)
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup champagne (I used Korbel Sweet Rose)
1 tsp vanilla

1. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter until creamy.
2. Add in raspberry puree and vanilla and mix well.
3. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time and mix scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
4. Add champagne as necessary to create desired consistency.
5. Place icing in piping bag fitted with large round tip and frost cupcakes.
6. Garnish with a raspberry on top.

Hope you all have a sweet month!

	Lauren Kapeluck Lauren is a monthly contributor for The Cake Blog. She is a self-taught baker and lover of all things sugar. Read more about Lauren on her bio page.