Birthday 2019: My boyfriend is amazing

Today is officially my birthday. And what better way to celebrate my birthday than with my incredible boyfriend Sumit. He surprised me today with this cake and rose, dedicating his love for me. 

He pre-ordered this cake for me several days ago which consists of chocolate frosting garnished with gold and topped with a recent photo of me. As an eggless, double-layer cake, the flavor is vanilla and filled with an assortment of fruit and homemade cream. 

It was only one year ago today Sumit surprised me with a similar cake. You can see that cake and read about that here. This year, he decided to do it again. 

Amazing right?

As many of you are already aware, I have been dating Sumit for almost two years now. What attracts me to Sumit is the fact he is intellectually endowed, strikingly handsome, has more drive than NASCAR, and has direction towards life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness rather than the local dive bar and melodrama.

Sumit is a polymath with a real, tried and true niche for success. He is quite possibly the smartest person I have ever met in my life, as he is a realist and visionary. Every time I talk to him, I feel like I am speaking with someone who has lived many centuries. 

When I have a conversation with Sumit, I learn something new. Whether it is about Hinduism, the stock market, the Indian culture, and even life in general - he has taught me so much. In fact, I feel like I can utilize the knowledge he has shared to and for a higher purpose. 

Although he is academically endowed, what I love most about Sumit is the fact that he has such a strong and independent mind and he doesn't care what others think. And in spite of what others say about him, he makes himself a better person and always respects everyone. He doesn't have a hateful bone in his entire body. 

Sumit has taught me many vital lessons about life and has made me really love and appreciate life much more so. And it is this fact alone, that has made me truly grateful to have found him and thankful to have him. 

Thank you Sumit for making my birthday amazing. I love you. I am very happy in my life and I owe it all to you. 

Thank you Sumit for making my birthday amazing

I literally have the greatest boyfriend in the world. I first met Sumit several months ago. We had an immediate connection. He is literally fascinating on every level, as he is a polymath, a renaissance man. When I speak to him, it is as if I am speaking to someone who has lived over 5,000 years. In spite of being intelligent, starting college at just 16 years old, I found myself compatible with him in many ways that go beyond intellect.

As our love continues to grow, I can honestly admit that he is the one I want to grow old with, as he is someone I can see myself with for the rest of my life. He inspires me everyday and he makes me the happiest I have ever been in years.

Today, he took the initiative to surprise me with this cake. This birthday cake uses an image of me which I took several months ago for him. I wrote on my hand, showing my love and appreciation for him.

As the image is made out of edible sugar, the cake itself is an impressive dynamic of flavors. It is a vanilla pineapple cream cake with several layers, glammed with gold icing that is a mango flavored buttercream which is garnished with maraschino cherries and edible pearls. And of course the "Happy Birthday" décor was added to show it's a birthday cake. One candle was placed in the heart on my hand.

I love you so much Sumit. Thank you for making my day brighter and better. Words cannot express how deeply touched and moved I am. You are truly the love of my life.

Violet Velvet Cake

 

As many of you know, I just had a birthday this past week and might I also add, it was great. Not only did I get to have dinner with family and friends, but I made my own cake too. I know, it's not really traditional when someone makes their own cake, however; I wanted to try something new. I decided to make a vegan violet velvet cake. It was not only colorful, but delicious too. As soon as I posted this picture on my Facebook, I received so many inquiries about how I made this cake.

 

First and foremost, you want to make sure you have the following ingredients...

 

4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Whole-Wheat Pastry Flour (if you are on a diet, you can use Almond Flour)
 2 cups Granulated Sugar (if you are on a diet, you can use Truvia or Stevia)
 3 teaspoons Baking Soda
 2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Cocoa Powder
2 cups Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk (if you are allergic, just use Silk's Chocolate Soy Milk)
 1 cup Coconut Oil
 2 tablespoons Red Food Coloring

2 tablespoons Blue Food Coloring

1 tablespoon Yellow Food Coloring
 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
 

For the frosting, you want to make sure you have the following ingredients...

 2 cup non-dairy, nonhydrogenated butter (I used Earth Balance)

1 cup non-dairy, cream cheese (I used Follow Your Heart)

 3 cups Confectioners' Sugar
 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoons Silk Very Vanilla Soy Milk (if you are allergic, just use Silk's Vanilla Almond Milk)
 Wilton Color Mist (optional)

Edible Cake Pearls (optional)

 

Let's Bake!

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your batter by combining flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. As you continue you want to  fold in the remaining ingredients. So you want to add oil, milk, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla, and mix until thoroughly combined.

 

Once you continue, it is important to lightly oil (1) 12- inch round cake pan. Bake for about 40 minutes.

 

Let the cake cook for about 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges, to loosen the sides. Once you have accomplished this, let the cake cook for an additional 20 (this will make up the entire 40 minutes in the oven). 

 

As you can continue, let the cake set for 5 to 10 minutes before transporting it onto a plate and then, onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Set it aside.

Let's Frost!

 

I used my KitchenAid mixer to make the frosting.  It is important to combine all of the ingredients, except the confectioners' sugar (or powdered sugar), vanilla, and milk into the mixer and mix until it is smooth and begins to fluff. With the mixer on low speed, add confectioners' sugar and fluff for another few minutes. Add vanilla followed by the milk.

 

Once all ingredients are well-combined, beat on high until frosting is light and fluffy for about 5 minutes. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more milk to achieve the consistency are you hoping to achieve.

 

Take your cake and start to apply the vegan frosting. You an pipe this because of the consistency of it. Decorate the cake however you choose. Add the edible beads on first before using the food color mist. As you continue, take your food coloring mist (I used Wilton's) and spray whatever colors on top.

 

Guess what?! You're done! Congratulations! You have just made the violet velvet cake.

 

Golden Apple Carrot Cupcakes

...with caramel cream cheese frosting made by your's truly. Enjoy!

 

 

Cupcakes are as unique and diverse...

...as the individual that not only eats them, but enjoys them as a result. The cupcake seller asked me which one I would like to taste test and I just cannot decide. Which one would you choose?

Photos by Sarah Afshar

Very Berry Vegan Cupcakes

I tried my first vegan cupcake a few years ago at a bakery called Sprinkles. There are locations all over the United States, but it was the one in Chicago where I had the opportunity to eat one. It was delicious.

I kept thinking to myself "How can a vegan cupcake taste this good?" As much as I love regular cupcakes (which I still do) I wanted to attempt to make vegan cupcakes. If I messed them up, I messed them up. There wasn't much to say. The ingredients you will need are...

1 Cup of Flour

1 Cup of Sugar

1/2 Cup Blueberries

1/2 Cup Raspberries

1/2 Cup Strawberries

Silk's Fruit & Protein in Mixed Berry

1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup of Margarine

First and foremost, you want to blend the blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries together to kind of make a thick puree, almost like a pasty texture.

As you continue, you want preheat the over for 350 degrees F. You want to combine everything into your mixer. Blend generously. Don't worry about overblending. The actual batter isn't going to be extremely thick.

Once you have mixed all of your ingredients, you want to begin filling the cupcake cups 1/2 to 3/4 way with the batter you just produced. Depending on the type of cupcake pan you use, if you notice that there isn't much space in between the spaces, you want to only fill them 1/2 way. If you do notice some space, you can fill them 3/4 way. 

Bake your cupcakes for 19-23 minutes. Let them set for 5 minutes before applying the frosting.

Which reminds me, frosting was something I was highly debating. If I were to make and use a regular buttercream, these cupcakes wouldn't be vegan. I must say that I was a bit relucant to make the frosting, as I was half afraid to mess it up. The biggest mistake cooking and baking enthusiasts make is fear. Anything can go wrong and the reality is, if you want to master something, you may have to mess it up a few times. (And that's ok)

As I pondered the type of frosting I wanted to make, I settled with making a simple vegan buttercream frosting. The ingredients are simple and sometimes less is more. What you will need to make your vegan buttercream frosting include...

3 Cups of Powdered Sugar

 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract

1 Cup of Margarine

1/2 Cup of Silk's Soy Milk in Very Vanilla

Add everything into a mixer (I prefer to use my Kitchenaid when I make frosting) and simply blend together.

You're done! Great job!





Kitchenaid 5 Quart Artisan Stand Mixer in Tangerine

If you love cooking and/or baking, I truly recommend owning a Kitchenaid Mixer. It is one of the best investments one can make, especially if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, cooking and/or baking. They also have a lot of features. You can also purchase attachments for them, which allow you to create different things. They come in an array of colors. I love several of them, but for some reason, the "Tangerine" catches my attention the most.

They last relatively long too, as I have used this for several years and it is still a wonderful product. To buy the Kitchenaid Mixer in "Tangerine", simply click the banner below...

Nutella Frangelico Cocoa Cupcakes, an original recipe

Recently, I had the opportunity to create some amazing cupcake recipes. One of the amazing cupcake recipes I had the chance to create was/is definitely "Nutella Frangelico Cocoa". It is a Sarah Afshar original, so enjoy.

Nutella Frangelico Cocoa Cupcakes

3 Eggs

1 Cup of Nutella

1 Cup of Silk's Dark Chocolate Almond Milk

1/2 Cup of Cocoa (unsweetened, I used Hershey's)

1/2 Cup of Vegetable Oil

1/4 Cup of Frangelico Liqueur

1/4 Cup of Hazelnuts (Chopped)

1/4 Cup of Pecans (Chopped)

1/4 Cup of Walnuts (Chopped)

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

Combine the eggs, nutella, dark chocolate almond milk, cocoa, vegetable oil, frangelico liqueur, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, baking soda, chocolate liqueur, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt into a mixing bowl. Mixed generously.

Once mixed, add the batter to the cupcake cups.

Preheat oven for 350 degrees (F that is) and bake the cupcakes anywhere from 20-23 minutes. After baking, let the cupcakes set for about 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from cupcake pan and place the cupcakes on a plate.

 

Frosting

2 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1 Cup of Cream Cheese (Softened)

1/4 Cup of Butter

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

Pecans (optional)

Combine the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and white chocolate liqueur into a mixing bowl. Mix generously. Once mixed, apply to cupcakes.

Garnish with a whole or half of pecan. Then, add some light colored pastel yellow sugar sprinkles.

Lemon Cream Cupcakes, a very basic recipe

 

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

3 Eggs
2 Cups of Water

2 Cups of All Purpose Flour

1 Cup of Sugar (Granulated White)

1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup of Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup of Marshmallow Creme

1/4 Cup of Sour Cream

1/4 Cup of Butter (Melted)

1 Teaspoon of Lemon Peel (Grated)

1 Teaspoon of Lemon Extract

1 Teaspoon of Lemon Juice

1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

Fresh Strawberries (optional)

Preheat over for 350 degrees (F, that is). Combine the eggs, water, flour, sugar, brown sugar, marshmallow creme, sour cream, butter, grated lemon peel, lemon extract, lemon juice, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.

Mix until blended. Fill empty cupcake cups with batter.

Bake cupcakes for 19-22 minutes. After baking, let the cupcakes set for about 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan and place the cupcakes on a plate.

 

Frosting

1 Cup of Marshmallow Creme

1 Cup of Powdered Sugar

3/4 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1 Tablespoon of Butter

1 Tablespoon of Silk Very Vanilla Soy Milk

Combine the Marshmallow Creme, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Butter, and Silk Very Vanilla Soy Milk. Apply to the cupcakes.

Slice fresh strawberries and apply them as a garnish to the cupcakes.

 

The cupcakes turned out great. Although the decorating could have been a little better, they were absolutely delicious. Also, when you attempt to make over a hundred cupcakes in one night, simplicity tends to be more embraced.