Copyright 2019 Jessica Rose Ward
What to Bake When: A Baking Handbook for the Basic Bitch
First Edition, February 2019
Love Sweet Mess
Los Angeles, CA
lovesweetmess.com
Editing: Shayla Raquel, ShaylaRaquel.com
Cover Design & Interior Formatting: Melinda Martin, MelindaMartin.me
Photography: Erin LaBrecque, ErinLaBrecquePhotography.com
What to Bake When: A Baking Handbook for the Basic Bitch is under copyright protection. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-7329530-0-0 (print), 978-1-7329530-1-7 (epub)
To My Alopecia
Without which I may have never discovered the therapy of baking.
Thank you for giving me a reason to express myself through the art of food and to be strong enough to embrace my bald head today.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my amazing friend and photographer Erin LaBrecque . I will forever cherish our makeshift photo shoots in your home, surrounded by the love of your babies, and the technical help from your husband. This book would have no visuals if it werent for your talent, time, dedication, and love.
Thank you to my family and best friends for supporting me, continually asking when this book would be done, and most importantly, having the balls to tell me when something didnt taste right.
Most importantly, thank you for purchasing this book. You are supporting a bald girl with a dream of inspiring baking therapy around the world.
Whats Inside
Holidays
Valentines Day:
Mardi Gras:
St. Patricks Day:
Easter:
April Fools Day:
420:
Cinco de Mayo:
Mothers Day:
Fathers Day:
Fourth of July:
Halloween:
Thanksgiving:
Hanukkah:
Christmas:
New Years Eve:
Birthdays
Child Birthday:
Teenage Birthday:
Parent Birthday:
Grandparent Birthday:
Dog Birthday:
Celebrations
Super Bowl:
Graduation:
Coming Out:
Oktoberfest:
Engagement Party:
Bridal Shower:
Bachelorette Party:
Anniversary:
Baby Shower:
Life
Broke AF:
Lazy AF:
PMS:
Breakup:
Girls Night:
Book Club:
Brunch:
Breakfast:
Boot Camp:
Bake Sale:
Teacher Appreciation:
Babysitting:
New Neighbors:
Get Well:
Miss You:
Im Sorry:
Thank You:
Beach Day:
Potluck:
Summer BBQ:
Dating
Baking for the BF:
Meeting His Friends:
Meeting His Parents:
Dieting
Valentines Day
RED Velvet Cupcakes
Yields 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Valentines Day is my favorite holiday to bake for because I love hearts and love! Ive been single for longer than you need to know, but this holiday has never brought me down, because my feelings are numb from eating them, but thats beside the point. Red velvet is such a classic Southern favorite. Im neither Southern nor classic, so my cupcakes take it up a notch to get your heart throbbing. Moist, red cocoa cake, filled with rich chocolate ganache, topped with cream cheese frosting makes your heart boom like an 808. Cupid would be quite pleased with these cupcakes. You might even want to leave them out for him the night before Valentines Day, like you would for Santa. Rather than presents, if you were a good girl that year, Cupid would bring you true love! A girl can dream.
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red food coloring
Chocolate Ganache
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate
cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Cake
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl with a whisk, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, mix the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and food coloring until well combined. Turn the mixer down to low speed, and slowly add the dry ingredients mixture, beating just until combined. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the 24-cupcake tins, filling two-thirds of the way full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack. Prepare the ganache and frosting while the cupcakes bake.
Chocolate Ganache
Place the chocolate pieces into a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil. Remove the cream from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let the cream melt the chocolate, stirring to combine once melted. Add the butter and vanilla, mixing until combined. This will thicken as it sets.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about three minutes. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar two cups at a time, beating well after every addition. Add the whipping cream one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after every addition. If you reach desired consistency before four tablespoons, you dont need to use it all.