Flavor Focus: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip with Dark Chocolate Buttercream

It’s been awhile since I’ve added a new flavor.  I have a million I want to try but haven’t had too many occasions.  Plus, I’ve been busy baking for Fridays…

My best friend, Carlock, had a big birthday a few weeks ago.  I thought it was the perfect time to try a new flavor.

What’s that?  No,  that’s not her real name.  I’ve changed it to protect the innocent.  Okay, that’s not true.  It’s just what we call her… we had too many Meagan/Meghan/Megan/Meaghan’s in our high school class.  Nicknames had to be created.  Plus, it’s catchy, don’t you think?

Anyway, these were a HIT.  Hello, peanut butter cake, spiked with mini chocolate chips, covered in dark chocolate buttercream.  Then, just in case you didn’t have enough, topped with a single Reese’s piece.  Certainly a keeper.

Oh!  And Carlock loved them!

Flavor Focus: Triple Coconut

I can vividly remember the moment I fell in love with coconut cake.

I was 9 or 10 years old.  Granddad and I were visiting my grandparents best friends, my Aunt Rosie and Uncle Ed, at their beach house.  As soon as we walked in the door, my Aunt Rosie, as she usually did, asked us if we wanted something to eat.

I don’t think we even got a chance to respond.  Before I knew it, Aunt Rosie pulled out a Sara Lee Coconut Cake from the freezer and it was set.  We were eating coconut cake.

I’m not even sure if I had really had coconut anything before that afternoon.  But I was going to try.  It would have been rude not to at least try.  Well, that first bite was glorious and I was sold.

Keep in mind, a frozen Sara Lee cake sold me on coconut cake.  That’s right.  Frozen.  Sara Lee.  Turns out, this was just my introduction to coconut cake.

My true love (and, perhaps, obsession) began when I met the coconut cake from Jimmy’s Grill in Bridgeville, Delaware.  Words can honestly not describe the incredibleness.  Moist layers of cake.  A sweet, delicate buttercream.  Outer layer of sweetened, grated coconut.  Heaven on a plate.  In fact, if you put this cake in the kitchen with my family, it will be gone – gone – within 1 1/2 days.  Trust me.  It’s been tested.  And plates are optional. 

Obviously, when I started Kristina’s Confections, a coconut cupcake was a no brainer.  After a bit of testing, I settled on Triple Coconut. Coconut in the cake, in the buttercream and covered with fresh and toasted coconut flakes on top.

Is it Jimmy’s?  It has a different texture because of the extra coconut I add.  But my customer’s love it.  So do I.

Flavor Focus: Irish Cupcakes

It’s March.  Finally, glorious March!

So what, you say?  What’s so great about March?

Well, let me tell you.  March means… warmer weather, budding trees, flip-flops, outdoor happy hour, college basketball and…

Irish cupcakes in honor of the one, the only, St. Patrick’s Day.

These are mimicked after the famous (or, more accurately, infamous) Irish Car Bomb drink.  The base is a Guinness chocolate cupcake, topped with a layer of ganache and finished with a swirl of Bailey’s buttercream.

Adult’s only here folks.  Trust me, we adults have the luck o’ the Irish with us on this one!

Flavor Focus: Mint Chocolate Chunk

I love chocolate and mint together.  Again, my crazy mother hates this combination (I know, weird).  In the Kristina’s Confections kitchen, however, my taste buds get more votes.  Lucky. For. You.

Dark chocolate cupcake mixed with dark chocolate chunks and a touch of mint.  Topped with a luxurious mint buttercream.  Finished with a dark chocolate mint drizzle.  Refreshing and seriously delicious.

The new after dinner treat!!!

Available starting December 1.

Perfect Pairing:  date night, fireside chats

Flavor Focus: Gingerbread Latte

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge ginger person.  I pass on the pickled ginger when I eat sushi.  I don’t think crystallized ginger is a candy substitute.  And I’ll take pumpkin bread over gingerbread any day of the week.

But I know I am not America and people love gingerbread (and all things ginger related).  My grandfather loves gingerbread, a fact I only recently learned.  I have a friend who waits all year long for gingerbread latte season.  And I know there are a lot more folks like them out there.

I thought it fitting that I work on something for the ginger lovers out there.  And I’m excited to introduce… gingerbread latte.

A ginger spice cupcake topped with a vanilla cream cheese latte frosting.  The result is a perfectly warm winter treat.  Just in time for this cold weather.  Just in time for the holiday season.

This just might change my opinion on ginger.

Perfect pairing: post holiday shopping, Christmas brunch, après-ski