This month we celebrated Don’s birthday with a wonderful gathering of friends and family. Don’s sister, Susan, got the birthday cake, and a fine one it was! Check out the picture to the left of the masterpiece! It was the hit of the party!
Don Bona celebrated his birthday with a replica of The Daily Record birthday cake. Designer cakes, which include pictures of the celebrant, or a hobby, are the ‘must-do’s” in birthday’s, and most any bakery will abide your wishes.
The word cake dates back to the 13th century; derived from the Norse word ‘kaka’. It seems like the Romans and Greeks were the first to celebrate birthdays with a cake. At that time, cakes were flat, round or moon-shaped, and made with flour and nuts, leavened with yeast, and sweetened with honey. They would then take it to the temple of Artemis – the Goddess of Moon. The early tradition of placing candles on a Birthday cake is attributed to the early Greeks, making them glow like the moon.
Another belief is that the Birthday cake started in Germany in Middle Ages. Sweetened bread dough was given the shape of baby Jesus in swaddling cloth and was used to commemorate His birthday. This birthday cake later re-emerged in Germany as a Kinderfest, or the birthday celebration of a young child. Germans also baked another special kind of a cake called Geburtstagorten, which was baked in layers.
During the 17th century, cakes started changing, with layers and decorations – but these were limited to wealthier people. No matter the true origin of cakes, we now have the elaborate concoctions and decorations of today’s cakes and all kinds of traditions follow them.
In medieval England, symbolic objects like coins, rings, and thimbles would be placed in the batter. The finder of the coin would be wealthy, while the finder of the thimble would never marry. Marriage was for the one who found the ring. Some people still follow the tradition and place small figures or fake coins inside cakes.
Today, candles are used in correlation to the person’s age, and a silent wish is made before blowing them out. If all candles are extinguished in one breath, it means the wish will come true. Some folks also smear out the name of the person before slicing of the cake to bring good luck. Designer Birthday cakes and candles are the vogue, such as Don’s cake. It was really a great cake, inside and out!
Today’s recipe is not about Birthday cakes, but it is a wonderful recipe for cupcakes! Enjoy!
Chocolate Chip and Mascarpone cupcakes
6 ounces unsweetened
chocolate, chopped
1 cup water
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese,
at room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces semisweet
chocolate chips
Icing
6 ounces semisweet
chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy whipping
cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 325?. Combine the unsweetened chocolate and water in a small saucepan over low heat until melted. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth. Beat sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl about one minute. Stir in the chocolate-mascarpone mixture. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Stir just until blended. Divide batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
For the Icing: Place chocolate chips in small bowl. Combine heavy cream and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until small bubbles appear on outside edges. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate chips, and stir until chips are melted, and mixture is smooth. Dip the top of each cupcake in the icing and place on a baking sheet. Place cupcakes in refrigerator to set, about 15-20 minutes. Bring cupcakes to room temperature before serving.
Note: For puffier cupcakes, allow the batter to rest in the muffin pans for 20 minutes before baking.