There was only one new cake flavor this week, Black forest cupcakes. I also finally made a write up about my brownies:

Black Forest Cupcakes
Black Forest cake is a German creation named after a liquor called Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) which is distilled from tart cherries. Typically, Black Forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. This cupcakes is an ode to the Black Forest cake. It is a moist chocolate cake with bits of sweet cherry, topped with a fluffy vanilla buttercream and chocolate shavings.

Blackout Brownies
Our Blackout Brownies are always on the menu, but people often ask why they are called that. These brownies are more cake-like than your typical fudge brownie. They are very rich and melt in your mouth instantly. Some people have said they are so good they will make you black out.

Here are two new flavors that I added to my 80 Cakes collection this week. Both were well received at the Farmers’ Markets. I didn’t even get a chance to take any pictures of them before they all disappeared!

Masala Chai Mini-Bundt Cakes

Chai tea lattes are a common menu item in most American coffee shops these days. I found it interesting when my husband, who is from India, told me that Chai in Hindi means tea. So a Chai tea latte is actually translated to tea tea latte. The more correct term is Masala Chai, which means spiced tea. In India tea is brewed and spiced with a combination of spices, most often cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove, and even pepper. These mini pound cakes are infused with black tea and spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, then topped with a black tea glaze.

Lavender Cupcakes

There are 39 species of lavender plants and I was surprised to find out they are in the mint family. The native range extends across North and East Africa, Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and India. Lavender is often used to make honey, lavender sugar, and to flavor cakes. Although not used in classical French cooking, in the 1970′s Herbes de Provence, a mixture of dried herbs typical of Provence, was created. The standard mixture typically contains savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender flowers. These lavender cupcakes have a delicate floral flavor without being overpowering. They are topped with a light lemon buttercream. It is a unique flavor combination you won’t want to miss.

Almond Joy Cupcakes…

…Because sometimes you feel like a nut. The Almond Joy candy bar was introduced to the market in 1946 by the Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing company. Peter Paul Candy was founded by an Armenian immigrant named Peter Paul Halajian in 1919. One of their best selling candies was the Mounds bar, made of a coconut base enrobed in dark chocolate. Almond Joy was introduced as a sister product to Mounds, made of the same coconut base but with two almonds and a milk chocolate coating. During the 1970′s the company created the slogan “Sometimes you feel like a nut / Sometimes you don’t / Almond Joy’s got nuts / Mounds don’t,” It has remained a well recognized slogan for many years and always puts a smile on my face. Today Almond Joy is still a popular candy, but it is now manufactured by Hershey’s. These ode to Almond Joy cupcakes are an almond cake with a chocolate ganache filling and coconut buttercream frosting that tastes like fresh coconut. Stop by and try one out, you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store.

Cafe Mocha Cupcakes:

The Cafe Mocha is similar to a cafe latte. It was inspired by a coffee beverage from Turin, Italy called Bicerin. Bicerin is a hot beverage made of espresso, drinking chocolate and whole milk layered in a glass. The Cafe Mocha we know today is one third espresso, two thirds steamed milk, with chocolate added either in the form of sweet cocoa or chocolate syrup. The name Mocha is not typically used in Italy or France. It is thought that the name is from the Red Sea coastal town of Mocha, Yemen, which as far back as the fifteenth century was a dominant exporter of coffee, especially to areas around the Arabian Peninsula. These moist chocolate cupcakes topped with a rich coffee buttercream will satisfy any coffee lover’s sweet tooth.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

When I think of cookies & cream the first thing that comes to my mind are Oreo cookies. However, the term cookies & cream was first used to describe an ice cream flavor. The “Cookies and Cream” ice cream uses sweet cream ice cream and chocolate wafer cookies of any type. The flavor is widely associated with the Oreo cookie, so my first instincts were not far off. The inventor of cookies & cream ice cream is widely disputed. According to Wikipedia here are a few claims: John Harrison, the official taster for Dreyer’s/Edy’s Ice Cream, claims he invented it first for the company in 1982. Blue Bell Creameries claim they first mass-produced the flavor two years earlier in 1980 after an employee tasted it in a Houston ice cream parlor the year before. South Dakota State University claims the flavor was invented at the university’s Dairy Plant. Whatever the origins, cookies & cream would probably not exist without the the Oreo cookie, which was invented by Nabisco in their New York City factory in 1912. It is considered the best selling cookie of the 20th century. This white fluffy cupcake is swirling with crushed Oreo cookies giving it the classic “cookies & cream” look. Topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream it is definitely Milk’s Favorite Cupcake*!