Nicholas Peruzzi - The sweet little book of cupcakes

DEDICATION
To the entire Sweet team, for making each day
Sweeter than the last, especially Rob McLeod and
Emily Bao for their confectionery contributions

What started as a quest for the perfect vanilla cupcake, led Courtney Forrester to establish Sweet Cupcakes in Bostons Back Bay in May of 2008. Since then, each and every day Sweet cupcakes and cakes are freshly baked and served up in three boutique locations throughout the city. All of the Sweet frostings, fillings, and batters are handcrafted from scratch using only the finest ingredients and are preservative free. Awarded Bostons Best Cupcakes 2009 and 2010 by the Improper Bostonian, Sweet continues to delight their many fans with their delectable confections.

WWW.SWEETCUPCAKES.COM

MEET THE SWEET TREATS
FINISHED CUPCAKE CREATIONS

C upcakes are pretty, precious, and perhaps perfect. However, theres more to cupcakes than meets the eye. Although the single-serve treat may be simple in its conceptionone origin of the name comes from its most basic cup by cup recipecupcakes are a mosaic of flavors fit for any palate. With the unique recipes and techniques in this little book, you will impress your family and friends with your seemingly simple, yet delicious, creations and countless possibilities. You may even get the chance to set aside some time to delight in the fruits of your labor. Sweet!

Derived from the veritable treasure trove of recipes at Sweet Cupcakes, Bostons premiere cupcakery, this little cookbook instructs and inspires your inner boutique baker. Sweet offers perfection in confection, and here they share their sweet secrets. Over 25 recipes for frostings and fillings, easy decorating ideas and tips, plus 17 recipes for the cakes themselves create an endless array of cupcake possibilities, such as the vanilla Sweet Cake, the refreshing summer flavor, Strawberry Shortcake, or the decadent holiday favorite, Chocolate Pomegranate. Whether youre celebrating a birthday, creating an elegant display for a bridal shower, baking for Halloween trick-or-treaters, or hosting a dinner party, cupcakes are the sweetest addition and a fun and fabulous way to show your guests that theyre special.

You can recreate the boutique cupcakery experience with Sweets scrumptious cupcakes for all seasons and occasions.

Why cupcakes? The dessert pairs simplicity with complexity, comfort with creativity, retro with right now, and theres nothing like having your cake and eating it, too!

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

To use this book, simply peruse the
finished Sweet Treats cupcake
creations in the first chapter, divided
into sections by season, including a
section of timeless favorites for
year-round indulgence. Once youve
chosen a Sweet Treat cupcake to
make, refer to each component
cupcake, filling, and frosting
in each respective chapter, follow
the directions to assemble all these
scrumptious components together to
achieve the finished Sweet Treat,
and Voil! Cupcake Nirvana!

No two kitchens are the same, of course. Whether your stove is currently serving as spare closet space or churning out army portions daily, the elements of cupcake bakingingredients, tools, and techniquesare foolproof! Your first step? Read the entire recipe all the way through before you begin baking. That way you can ensure that you will have all of the necessary ingredients and tools right at your fingertips when they are called for.

Cupcakes truly are the sum of their parts, and they deserve to be pampered with the best you can afford. As with all dishes and desserts, fresh, quality ingredients yield quality flavors. At any grocery store, you should be able to find the basicsbutter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder. If youre not afraid of a little challenge, you may want to make your way around local farmers markets and specialty shops, where you can find high-end sugars, flours, chocolates, and exciting extracts. A note about extracts vs. flavors: For vanilla, extract is always best. But for some of the recipes, flavors will be listed as ingredients, which are different from extracts. You can purchase flavors at many specialty shops, or try online at www.naturesflavors.com or www.thebakerskitchen.net. Another resource is Formaggio Kitchen, a Boston-area favorite that ships products nationally. Visit them at www.formaggiokitchen.com.

With the recent explosion of cupcake paraphernalia on the market, you should have no trouble finding all the necessary (and even unnecessary) accoutrements. To start, you will need the usual baking suppliesa spatula, whisk, wooden spoon, egg beater, electric mixer, bowls, sifter, and measuring cups and spoons. The item that defines the cupcake is, of course, the cupcake tin, which comes in a variety of sizes. All of the cupcakes in this book, with the exception of the mini pupcakes, are meant to be baked in a standard cupcake tinthey are the perfect portion and will allow adequate space for filling and embellishing. And dont forget cupcake liners to bake in! Grocery stores and specialty shops carry a variety of cupcake papers, so you can add a touch of color or pattern at the base or bake in a plain white cup, letting you go wild with color on top!

Please note that we have made every effort to ensure that the yields listed are accurate, but each recipes yield can vary depending on how the batter is distributed in the cupcake tins.

Now that you have everything you need to bake, theres the never-ending oven issue to contend with. From altitude to aptitude, each oven can be a little different. Show your oven whos boss by learning its nuances, and you can avoid a scorcher. Always keep an eye on your cupcakes while baking, as cooking times will vary depending on your oven. Many find a cake tester or the readily-available toothpick to be a great cheat tactic. When it pulls out clean, your cupcakes are baked to perfection!

For decorating ideas and techniques, see . To frost and decorate your cupcakes, you will need standard pastry bags and tips. You can find these in specialty shops, or a simple set might be found in your local grocery store. There are so many different ways to add pizzazz to a simple cupcake, including drizzles, crumbles, and other toppings. Let your creativity take hold and, most of all, have fun!