The recipe I used for Chef Cathy's birthday cake which garnered praise from her(I'm proud, of course:)) and this one is the same. The only difference is that the former was baked in a 10" round pan. I just didn't want the birthday girl to do any more cake slicing and dish washing;)
The Labor of Love. There's a notion that hand-mixing makes a truly delicious cake, so I wanted that's satiating not only to the palate but to the heart, as well:) She deserved it!
Photos of the (still hot) cupcakes(below). I experimented to make the center crack by changing a process and it was a success! My uncle then asked me how much is the cost of each "puto". LOL!
I like it this way... no paper liners because, at times, they become uneven - the other side long, the other side short.
These cupcakes are far from those commercially sold out there that easily breaks and are crumbly. My customers prefer to have their orders baked day prior to their events. I, too, prefer it that way for the cake itself becomes dense, moist and the flavors more chocolate-y, especially with the addition of either of the Chocolate/Caramel/ Mocha frostings.
I sliced the cupcakes in half and then filled each center with Creamy Caramel Frosting, topped the other half again and drizzled some more over, allowing it to flow freely to the sides.
To be thanked for was expected but for it to sound with hint of emotions is surprising. I didn't know she'd be touched. The hand-mixing thing must have effected:D