Week 3, Oct. 20



This week each CSB member gets to take home six gourmet cupcakes, featuring seasonal flavors.  I am constantly thinking up new cake and icing combinations, so repeats are few and far between!  Boxes include:

~Toasted Hazelnut-Pear (hazelnut cake, handmade organic spiced pear butter, cream cheese icing, and half a toasted hazelnut for decoration)

~Caramel-Dipped Apple (classic yellow cake, handmade organic apple filling, bourbon caramel American buttercream, roasted peanuts)

~Maple Bacon & Pancakes (buttermilk cake with a hint of cinnamon and maple, pure maple Italian meringue buttercream, crispy bacon)

~Strawberries & Cream (classic yellow cake, handmade strawberry filling, strawberry cream cheese icing)

~Chocolate-Dipped Hazelnuts (toasted hazelnut cake, dark chocolate ganache, toasted hazelnuts)

~Chocolate Maple Bacon (buttermilk cake with a hint of cinnamon and maple, pure maple Italian meringue buttercream filling, dark chocolate ganache, crumbled crispy bacon and a hint of smoked sea salt)

These cupcakes are made with local ingredients.  The strawberries came from local growers (Adams Berries), the bacon is all-natural and nitrate free (from Diamond S. Meat Company), the dark chocolate is organic, fair trade, coming from Lillie Belle Farms in Central Point, OR, the pears are from Valley View Orchard in Ashland, OR, and the apple filling was made with organic fruit from Belweather Farm in Keno, OR.  The hazelnuts are Oregon grown as well.  While most bakers might make a maple buttercream using artificial maple flavoring in a shortening and powdered sugar-based buttercream, I use pure maple syrup, boiled to a candy stage and beaten into a fluffy meringue icing.  I hope you enjoy these decadent treats!

To store cupcakes, keep them in their cake box in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.  If they're transferred to a sealed plastic box, they'll stay moist longer.  To freeze for later, place the cupcake(s) in the freezer until solid.  Wrap each individually in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top bag.  Freeze up to 2 months.  To defrost, leave cupcake in the plastic wrapper at room temp for about 1/2 an hour.  (Ganache-topped cupcakes freeze and defrost exceptionally well.  Other icings may get a little squished from the plastic once they've defrosted.)