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    Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

    5 years ago, I baked these pumpkin cupcakes for the first time and fell in love with them!

    Minh Cakes - Pumpkin Cupcakes - Kürbis-Cupcakes

    Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are the perfect gift to bring along to your next party, or for halloween! The main ingredient is pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin is hard to find here in Switzerland – but fortunately, it’s very easy to make from scratch!

    What you’ll need for pumpkin cupcakes

    This is a super easy recipe that you can whip up quickly by hand, using a whisk. You will need:

    Minh Cakes - Pumpkin Cupcakes - Kürbis-Cupcakes

    How to bake the pumpkin cupcakes

    Here’s the recipe for you to print:

    Pumpkin cupcakes by Minh Cakes

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    Zubereitung: 30 minutes
    Koch/Backzeit: 20 minutes
    Cooling & icing: 1 hour
    Total: 1 hour 50 minutes
    Ergibt: 12 cupcakes

    Ingredients

    For the cupcakes:

    • 125 g flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1.5 tsp Pumpkin spice mix
    • 250 g Pumpkin puree
    • 2 eggs
    • 110 g brown sugar
    • 110 g white sugar
    • 110 g neutral vegetable oil

    For the cream cheese topping:

    • 300 g Für das Cream Cheese-Frischkäse-Topping: (important: room temperature)
    • 600 g Ppowdered sugar

    Instructions

    For the cupcakes:

    • Preheat the oven to 175 C top/bottom heat and line a muffin tin with cupcake paper cases.
    • In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice and set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, mix the pumpkin puree and eggs together with a whisk.
    • Add the brown sugar and white sugar and stir well.
    • Stir in the vegetable oil.
    • Finally, carefully fold in the flour mixture from step 2.
    • Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the paper cases up to approx. 1 cm below the edge. Place in the oven immediately and bake for 20 minutes, then leave to cool.

    For the cream cheese topping:

    • Sieve the powdered sugar.
    • Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until fluffy, but not too long or it will become runny.
    • Add the powdered sugar in 3 batches and mix gently until the cream looks velvety.
    • Pipe the cream onto the cupcakes using the piping nozzle of your choice. The cupcakes should be well cooled for this.
    • Decorate as you wish – for example with handmade pumpkins made from sugar paste.

    Video

    Hast du dieses Rezept ausprobiert?Markiere mich auf instagram mit @minhcakes!

    The tutorial for the cute little sugar pumpkins will follow soon!

    Minh Cakes - Pumpkin Cupcakes - Kürbis-Cupcakes

    Here’s the recipe for you to print:

    Please leave your comments and questions below. Happy baking!

    Love,
    Minh signature

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  • All posts, Recipes

    Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe

    As promised last week, here is the first recipe with pumpkin! I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful spice mix for all things pumpkiny: Pumpkin spice.
    Minh Cakes Pumpkin Spice Latte

    It’s very easy to make at home, you can store it and use it for various pumpkin desserts and more. One of the most popular uses is “Pumpkin spice latte”, a seasonal coffee drink served in a well-known American coffee house. I don’t usually go there, but I love that latte – so when fall is here, I treat myself to a cup now and then. It’s not available yet, and I’ve been craving it. So here’s the homemade version for you!

    To make your own Pumpkin Spice, you will need:

    • Cinnamon
    • Ginger
    • Cloves
    • Nutmeg

    Our supermarkets usually sell those spices in good quality. Otherwise, look out for spice stands in the upcoming Christmas markets.

    Minh Cakes Pumpkin Spice Latte

    Mix all the spices together and store in an airtight container for later use.

    How to make homemade Pumpkin spice latte:

    The base of this drink (apart from coffee and milk) is a paste made of pumpkin puree (recipe here), pumpkin spice mix, vanilla extract and honey (you may use any sweetener of your choice – brown sugar or maple syrup are great options too).

    Minh Cakes Pumpkin Spice Latte

    Mix all of these together, add milk and heat. Add milk foam and 1-2 espresso shots and you’re ready to go!

    Here’s a video for you:

    Fun story: The first time I filmed this, I drank the latte afterwards, and thought that I’d really like a double shot of espresso in it. The coffee flavor just wasn’t very strong. I went to the coffee machine to prepare one – and found the first espresso shot still sitting there…I had forgotten to pour it in! So, I had to film it again.

    Here’s the full recipe for you:

    Pumpkin Spice Latte Macchiato - recipe by Minh Cakes

    • Servings: 2
    • Print

    Ingredients

      For the Pumpkin Spice mix:

    • 4 tbsp ground cinnamon
    • 3 tsp ground ginger
    • 2 tsp ground cloves
    • 1 tsp ground nutmeg

      • For the Pumpkin Spice latte:

    • 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
    • 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice mix, plus more to sprinkle on the finished drink
    • 2 tbsp honey (or more, to taste)
    • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
    • 2 cups milk (divided into 1.5 cups + 0.5 cup)
    • 2 shots of espresso

    Directions

      Pumpkin spice mix:

    1. Mix all the spices together and store in an airtight container.

      2. Pumpkin Spice Latte Macchiato:

    2. Mix the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, honey and vanilla.
    3. Place the pumpkin paste in a saucepan, add 1.5 cups milk, and heat while stirring from time to time.
    4. For perfect foam, pour the remaining 0.5 cups milk in a smaller saucepan and heat slowly, while beating vigorously back and forth with a whisk. At around 130 F (55 C), a very stable foam will form – be careful not to overheat it or it will fall again.
    5. Prepare two shots of espresso.
    6. Fill two coffee mugs in this order: Pumpkin milk, foam, espresso and then sprinkle some pumpkin spice mix on top for decoration. Enjoy!


    Can be made stronger with more honey, or a second shot of espresso. Also tastes great with almond milk. If you are craving a touch of decadence, go ahead and add that swirl of whipped cream on top!

    http://minhcakes.ch/en/pumpkin-spice-latte-recipe


    Happy pumpkin spice-ing!

    Love,
    Minh signature

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  • All posts, Fillings & icings, Recipes

    American buttercream recipe

    Hello bakers! Today I am showing you one of the easiest recipes for American buttercream out there.

    American buttercream (also known as AMBC) is the classic buttercream for frosting cakes and other baked goods. If you go buy a cupcake somewhere, it will usually be frosted with American buttercream.
    Minh Cakes American Buttercream Rezept

    It’s very easy and quick to make. That’s why I totally recommend it for beginner projects, or if you just don’t have the time to make Swiss Meringue buttercream.
    Minh Cakes American Buttercream Rezept

    The advantages of American buttercream

    • You only need two basic ingredients: Butter and powdered sugar
    • You can make it in 15 minutes
    • It’s a crusting buttercream that hardens after a while
    • It’s got a good shelf life: It can stay outside of the fridge for up to 3 days
    • It tasted good even when chilled

    The drawbacks of American buttercream:

    • It’s extremely sweet, and therefore not to everybody’s taste
    • The consistency and mouthfeel can be a bit sandy. Here in Switzerland, the available powdered sugar is not very fine.

    Minh Cakes American Buttercream Rezept

    When making American buttercream, you can play with the ratios of butter and sugar. Here’s a list of ratios and their uses for youi:

    Butter and icing sugar, 1:1 ratio

    • Filling cakes
    • Crumb coating cakes

    Butter and icing sugar, 1:2 ratio

    • Frost cupcakes

    Butter and icing sugar, 1:2.5 ratio

    • Mask a cake for fondant
    • Piping buttercream flowers

    American buttercream recipe


    Ingredients

    • 225 g (2 sticks) of butter
    • 225 g – 560 g (1.8 – 4.5 cups) of icing sugar (depending on the use, see above)
    • Vanilla: 1 vanilla bean, 1 tsp vanilla extract or a packet of vanilla sugar
    • Optional: gel food colorings
    • Optional: 1-2 tbsp milk

    Directions

    1. Take the butter out of the fridge early enough. When using, it should be soft, but still cool to the touch. Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer and beat it on medium speed, until the color has lightened (about 3-5 minutes).
    2. Add icing sugar, one cup at a time. Beat for 1 minute between each addition.
    3. Color the buttercream as you like, and beat in the vanilla.
    4. If the consistency is too stiff, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
    5. If the consistency is too soft, it might be because the butter is too warm. Chill your buttercream for a 10 minutes in the fridge. If it’s still soft, add more icing sugar to stiffen your buttercream.

    Shelf life: 3 days at room temp, 2 weeks in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer. Before using, bring to room temperature and re-beat it to make it fluffy.

    The American buttercream in the pictures was colored with “Red Extra” by Sugarflair:
    Minh Cakes American Buttercream Rezept

    Minh Cakes American Buttercream Rezept

    Happy buttercreaming!
    Love,
    Minh signature

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  • All posts, Baking, Cupcakes, Recipes

    Vanilla cupcakes – recipe

    Making great vanilla cupcakes isn’t easy!

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    When I first started baking, I tested several light vanilla recipes and was disappointed by most of them. The most common issues were:

    • Dry cake
    • Boring flavor
    • Nice flavor, but sunk in the middle and sticky
    • The liners peeled away from the cakes
    • The liners stuck so much to the cake that they were almost impossible to remove

    I often experience this with baked goods: The ones that taste best, are usually the ugliest or they are so soft that it’s difficult to use them for further decorating.

    The reason? The best flavor comes from using sugar and butter. But the higher the sugar and fat content of a cupcake, the softer the end product. Figuring out the right quantities has been a challenge. That’s when I discovered vegetable oil as a great subsitute. I started baking all cupcakes with oil, and have never looked back!

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes
    Today I have for you a great recipe for vanilla cupcakes that look and taste great. They are quick to bake and easy to decorate. The oil makes them moist and juicy, but not sticky.

    Everything starts with a good “mise en place”:

    • Line your baking tin with cupcakes liners
    • Preheat your oven
    • Weigh all ingredients and have them ready at hand.

    Let’s begin!

    How to make vanilla cupcakes

    Place sugar, eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    Beat with a whisk until frothy, about 2 minutes.

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    Add oil and milk, stir well.

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.

    Lastly, sift in the flour and baking powder. Not too much at a time, stir well but not too long.

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    One level ice cream scoop is the perfect quantity of batter for one cupcake:

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    Bake for 20 minutes! And leave to cool on a wire rack.

    Minh Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

    Here’s the recipe for you:

    Vanilla Cupcakes

    • Servings: 12 cupcakes
    • Print

    Ingredients

    • 140 g (2/3 cup) sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • 1-2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 130 g (2/3 cups) vegetable oil (rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil)
    • 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
    • 140 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) flour
    • 3 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 170 C (350 F). Line the baking pan with the cupcake liners of your choice. Measure all ingredients.
    2. Beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla until frothy (about 2 minutes).
    3. Add vegetable oil and milk, stir well.
    4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Sift this to the batter, stirring slowly but not for too long.
    5. Fill your cupcake liners with batter, using an ice cream scoop. Bake immediately for 20-22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. After taking out of the oven, remove the cupcakes immediately from the pan and let them cool on a wire rack or on the counter.
    6. Decorate the vanilla cupcakes as you please – for example with Swiss Meringue buttercream.


    Instead of oil, melted butter may be used.

    Will you leave a comment when you bake these cupcakes? I’d love to hear from you!

    Happy Baking!

    Love,
    Minh signature

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  • All posts, Fillings & icings, Recipes

    Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

    Today I have for you our favorite cake filling recipe: Swiss Meringue Buttercream or SMBC!

    Swiss Meringue Buttercream Minh Cakes SMBC

    Swiss Meringue buttercream is our first choice of frosting for cupcakes and cakes, because it’s very stable, has a long shelf life and is wonderfully fluffy. By heating our meringue to 70 degees Celsius, we make sure to pasteurize the egg whites, so it can be enjoyed by everyone!

    While making SMBC can be a little tricky at first, once you master the temperatures of the ingredients, it should come together really nicely. I do recommend using a thermometer while making this buttercream – you can find inexpensive ones in most household stores.

    Recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    • Servings: 1kg / 4 cups
    • Print

    Ingredients

    • 250 ml  / 1 cup egg whites (approx. 8 eggs, we tend to use pre-bought egg whites in a carton)
    • 300 g / 1.5 cups sugar
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 500 g / 4.5 sticks soft butter, at room temp (at least 22 degrees Celsius)


    Preparation

    Place sugar, egg whites and salt in a large bowl and heat to 70 C / 158 F over a gently simmering water bath. Stir and scrape the edges with a rubber spatula every 2 minutes or so – you don’t want the egg white to coagulate. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature.

    As soon as the mixture hits the right temperature, transfer it to a clean mixer bowl immediately. Beat it with a whisk on medium-high speed, until you have a stiff meringue. Keep beating the meringue until it has cooled down below 30 C / 86 F.

    If using a stand mixer, swap the whisk attachment for a mixing paddle. Turn the mixer on the lowest speed (this is very important!) and add the butter slowly, one heaped tablespoon at a time. Make sure your butter is really soft – you should be able to cut through it with a knife effortlessly. We must ensure that the meringue and the butter are at equal temperatures – that will make the water-based egg white and the fat-based butter emulsify (mix together) more quickly, while losing a minimum of the volume of the air bubbles in the meringue.

    Then comes the easy part: Sit back and wait! Keep the mixer on the lowest setting. Don’t panic if the mixture looks liquid or curdled. The buttercream will go through what I call the “cottage cheese” stage. And soon afterwards, it should emulsify beautifully and look like a fluffy buttercream.

    Once it has reached this stage, you can turn the mixer on high again and beat your buttercream on medium-high for 5-10 minutes, to incorporate some more air. You will notice it will get a lot lighter in color.

    Your buttercream is done! Now you can add color and flavors of your choice.

    The moment when SMBC emulsifies… it’s like magic, every time!

    Here are some flavoring ideas for Swiss Meringue buttercream:

    If you make SMBC, please leave a comment!

    Thanks and happy baking,

    Minh signature

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  • All posts, Fillings & icings, Recipes

    White drip ganache recipe

    Our recipe for dark drip ganache is trending on the blog these days! Of course I’ve also been asked for the recipe with white chocolate. So without further ado: Here’s the white drip ganache recipe for you!

    White Drip Ganache

    White chocolate is a bit more finicky than dark chocolate, because it melts (and breaks) at lower temperatures than dark chocolate. That’s because white chocolate, unlike dark oder milk choc, contains no cocoa liquor, but only cocoa mass – and a whole lot more of cocoa butter.

    When making white ganache for dripping, you will only use half as much heavy cream than for the dark drip ganache. Optional: For a really nice sheen, you can add half a teaspoon of glucose or corn syrup.

    To make white drip ganache, you will need:

    • 200 g white chocolate
    • 100 ml heavy cream
    • 1/2 tsp corn syrup
    • a chilled cake to be dripped

    In order to not overheat the ganache, I usually heat the cream and chocolate together, in burts of 30 seconds of the microwave. It’s important to stir well after each melting round.
    White Drip Ganache

    After 2 or 3 rounds in the microwave, your chocolate should be melted. Let it cool down for 1-2 hours, until it flows in thick ribbons from your spatula. White Drip Ganache

    Grab your chilled cake from the fridge only moments before you are ready to drip! (On the turntable today: Chocolate ganache cake :))
    White Drip Ganache

    Then you can start dripping! Personally, I prefer to use a spoon, doing the sides first. Then I finish the top with an angled spatula.

    Here’s a video for you:

    Ganache Dripping works on any cold surface: Fondant, Buttercream, Ganache, Meringue.

    Here’s the print version of the recipe for you:

    White drip ganache

    • Servings: 300 g
    • Print

    Ingredients

    • 100 ml heavy cream
    • 200 g white chocolate, chopped
    • 1/2 tsp glucose syrup or light corn syrup (optional)

    Directions

    Combine the chopped chocolate and the cream in a microwave-safe bowl.

    Heat the mixture during bursts of 30 seconds in the microwave, at 75-80% power. Between each interval, stir with a spatula for at least 30 seconds.

    You can emulsify the ganache with a stick blender. That will also help dissolve the last lumps of chocolate. Just be careful not to incorporate too many air bubbles.

    Stir in syrup, if using.

    Let ganache cool for an hour or two, until the consistency is very thick.


    Source: http://minhcakes.ch/en/white-drip-ganache-recipe


    Please leave questions and comments below – Happy dripping!

    Love,
    Minh signature

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  • All posts, Decorations, Fillings & icings, Recipes

    Drip ganache recipe

    Last week we had our Drip Cake class here at the studio. This post is dedicated to this most wonderful of ingredients – liquid chocolate or drip ganache!

    Minh Cakes Drip Ganache recipe title image

    There are many different recipes for ganache. The proportions of chocolate to cream can vary, depending on the use. Some recipes use heavy cream or butter, or both!

    For drip ganache, you need equal amounts of semi sweet chocolate and cream (a ratio of 1:1). Optional: You can add a tablespoon of corn syrup or glucose for a nice shine!

    Minh Cakes Drip Ganache recipe ingredients

    The cream is heated until just below the boiling point, then poured over the chocolate and stirred, until the consistency is smooth. Then the syrup is added, if using.

    Minh Cakes Drip Ganache recipe nice shine

    The drip ganache mixture then has to rest for about 1-2 hours, until it has thickened slightly and flows from your spatula in broad ribbons:

    Drip Ganache GIF

    Then you can begin dripping! There are several techniques, but I like using a spoon best for maximum control for the sides – and then filling up the top of the cake with an angled spatula.

    Here’s a video for you:

    Very important: The cake should be chilled thoroughly underneath, so that the chocolate sets fast. Otherwise, your chocolate will just flow off the sides of the cake and make great puddles on the bottom.

    You can drip ganache on fondant, buttercream, hardened ganache, meringue – whatever you like, the main thing is that is must be cold!

    Here’s the recipe for you to print and use:

    Drip ganache (truffle ganache)

    • Servings: 500 g
    • Print

    Ingredients

    • 250g / 1 cup heavy cream
    • 250g semi sweet chocolate, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon glucose or light corn syrup

    Preparation

    Place the chocolate pieces in a large bowl.

    Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat it on medium-high. Careful of the overflow if you let it boil inadvertently! Just before it starts boiling, remove from the heat.

    Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it rest for 1 minute.

    Stir the mixture gently. A silicone spatula is best. We want to try incorporating as little air as possible into the chocolate. You can use a stick blender, leaving it at the bottom of the bowl, without going up and down.

    Stir in the syrup, if using.

    Leave the drip ganache to rest for about 1-2 hours, until it has thickened slightly and flows from your spatula in broad ribbons.

    Start dripping!


    You can drip cakes, cupcakes, ice cream, cake pops and more. If you leave the chocolate to harden even more, you can then use it to make truffles. Roll them into balls and dip them in cocoa powder. I’m sure you can come up with more uses!

    Drip Ganache Cupcakes by Minh Cakes

    Enjoy – please leave questions and comments below!
    Happy dripping!

    Love,
    Minh signature

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    P.S.
    Would you like to learn to bake a decorate a drip cake from scratch? We have a class just for that: Drip Cake Tageskurs ( in German for now): With baking, making meringue kisses, meringue filling, chocolate towers and more!
    drip cake class

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  • All posts, Fillings & icings, Recipes

    Strawberry puree recipe

    It’s strawberry season! Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits. I love to use them all year round. Since the season is so short, I like to make strawberry puree to preserve them for later use. This week I’m making a whole batch of puree.

    Minh Cakes Strawberry Puree preserves

    Making puree is a great way to store strawberries for upcoming cakes or for next winter. What’s the difference between puree and jam? The fruit is only cooked very briefly, so it keeps a fresh taste. I also only use half the sugar than for strawberry jam or jelly.

    Because less sugar is used, the puree doesn’t have such a long shelf life at room temperature. But it freezes really well and keeps in the freezer for several months. I usually freeze it in small batches so I can just take what I need.

    What can you use strawberry puree for?

    Minh Cakes Strawberry Puree preserves

    How to make homemade strawberry puree

    The detailed recipe for printing is below! You can use as many strawberries as you like. Wash them, dry them and hull them. Then cut into quarters.

    Minh Cakes Strawberry Puree preserves

    Place the berries in a large saucepan and cover with jam sugar. (Jam sugar contains the natural gelling agent pectin – this prevents our strawberry puree from being too liquid).

    Minh Cakes Strawberry Puree preserves

    Bring to berries to a swift boil and let them simmer on medium-high for no longer than 5 minutes.

    Minh Cakes Strawberry Puree preserves

    Puree your strawberries using a stick blender. Optional: You can flavor your puree with vanilla extract and, or rosewater (a trick I learned from Bravetart!).

    Minh Cakes Strawberry Puree preserves

    Fill your puree into tupperwares (for freezing) or into sterilized canning jars (for the fridge). Let cool completely before placing in a cooling device.

    This is the full recipe:

    Strawberry puree by Minh Cakes

    • Servings: approx. 500 g
    • Print

    Ingredients

    • 500 g strawberries
    • 250 g jam sugar (with pectin)
    • Optional: 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • Optional: 1 tsp rose water

    Preparation


    Wash and dry the strawberries, then hull them and cut into quarters. Place in a saucepan with the jam sugar and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the extracts, if using. Blend with a stick mixer blender or regular blender. Fill into tupperwares or sterilized canning jars.

    Shelf life: At least 2 weeks in the fridge, 6 months in the freezer.

    Uses:

    • To flavor Swiss Meringue Buttercream or American Buttercream
    • Bake strawberry cake
    • As a light jam
    • Great ingredient for smoothies
    • As a müesli topper
    • To flavor your plain yoghurt
    • … for many other desserts

    minhcakes.ch/strawberry-puree


    Have fun pureeing! As always, please leave your questions in the comments.

    Love,
    Xuân-Minh signature

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