The Ninja Baker - #wine

Plum Wine Cake, #TheCakeSliceBakers

NinjaBaker — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 18:58:51 +0000

The Cake Slice Bakers are a group of bakers from around the world.
Every month a new challenge arrives...Currently, we are presented with the opportunity to bake one of four selections
from Southern Living’s The Southern Cake Book.

Amaretto-Almond Pound Cake called to The Ninja Baker. Alas, Italian Amaretto was vacant from this baking ninja’s kitchen.
So, Japanese plum wine was substituted and resulted in scrumptious success!

With the arrival of spring across the Northern Hemisphere, Japanese plum wine is spot on for sipping or pouring into cake. In Japan, flowering plums precede its more famous sakura cherry blossom cousin. Plum blossom viewing parties also commenced long before the idea of a cherry blossom viewing party came into fruition. The change in popularity occurred about the time political allegiances transpired. (When the capital of Japan moved from Nara to Kyoto. The current capital of Japan is Tokyo.) However, the Japanese plum blossom was never banished.

America's traditional Southern pound cake gets friendly with ancient Japanese plum wine.

Plum blossoms may currently take second place to the cherry blossom in terms of popularity. But, Japanese plum blossom festivals and parties are sprinkled throughout Japan. The flower and fruit of the Japanese plum blossom continue to thrive in Japanese culture and cuisine.

Here are 3 reasons why the Japanese plum blossom is still revered:
1. The pretty flowers whisper the promise of the spring.
2. Japanese plum blossom trees are said to ward off evil spirits.
3. The fruits of the tree beckon prosperity because of the restorative qualities of the Japanese plum.
(See The Ninja Baker’s Japanese Plum Sushi post.) Umeboshi - pickled plum - is also added to rice to stimulate the appetites of those who are ailing.

Cheers to your good health and prosperity with Japanese plum wine and cake!

Need any more reasons to bake with Japanese plum wine? Well, try the recipe below and treat yourself to a buttery pound cake infused with pink wine! P.s. Perhaps the Japanese plum wine balances out all the butter and sugar…I don’t guarantee the healthiest cake on the planet. But I do promise you a fusion of Japanese and American yumminess!

Plum Wine Cake

Buttery pound cake of the American South finds a friend in the ancient Japanese plum. The wine of the revered Japanese plum adds a touch of tart to the traditional Southern pound cake.

Adapted from The Southern Cake Book’s Amaretto-Almond Pound Cake recipe on page 217.

Ingredients:

1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Lots of butter or coconut oil for greasing your bundt pan
1¼ cups softened butter for the cake batter
3 ounces softened Neufchâtel
2½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons Japanese plum wine
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Drops of rose food coloring
2½ cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs at room temperature

Directions:

Set your oven to 325 degrees. Rub lots of butter or coconut oil in a 10” (12 cup) bundt pan to ensure release of the cake after baking. Sprinkle the walnuts onto the bottom of the pan.

Whip together the butter and Neufchâtel in the bowl of a kitchen stand mixer. In a steady stream add the sugar. Let the sugar, butter and Neufchâtel dance into fluffiness for about 5 minutes. On low speed, stir in the Japanese plum wine, vanilla extract and drops of rose food coloring. Slowly add the flour. Add the eggs one at a time. Pour the smooth batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a bamboo skewer or knife inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before flipping the bundt pan onto a plate.

Ninja Note: Oh, so gently insert a frosting spatula or thin knife along the edges of the bundt pan to encourage an easy release of cake.

Optional Japanese Plum Wine Glaze:

In a saucepan, over a medium-low flame, bring to boil: ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup Japanese plum wine, 2 tablespoons water and drops of rose food coloring. Be sure to continually keep stirring. (Cleaning burnt sugar in saucepans is no fun!) Let the mixture reduce. The process should take 3 to 5 minutes. Drizzle the hot glaze over the cooled cake.

You can also spread a bit of the glaze on the bottom of the cake while still hot and in the pan. Once the cake is cooled and the glaze is set, it creates an extra sugary wine crunch on the bottom of the cake.

An InLinkz Link-up

Wishing you a spring which blossoms with happiness!

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

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Vegan Midori Melon Cupcakes, #CupcakeDay

NinjaBaker — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 09:01:00 +0000

Christmas in Tokyo is a commercial affair. Tinseltown LA is similar. Last Christmas, I was touched to see true reverence for the season in Medina, Ohio. Snowy churchyards cradled full-size crèches. Never had I seen so many Nativity scenes or churches in one location. My heart still warms at the memory.

Japanese Midori Melon liquor infused vegan cupcakes...designed to keep you in good spirits!

Yet I confess I also smile when seeing photos of Tokyo dressed up for Christmas. The illuminated Omotesando Hills looks like fairyland. (The avenue gives Disneyland’s Main Street at Christmastime a run for their money.) The Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada shops in the Omotesando/Harajuku area also vies for the most creative Christmas displays. Similar to Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive. Strolling down Omotesando or Rodeo Drive is like walking through the pages of a glossy magazine. Or sipping a glass of sophisticated Japanese Midori Melon liquor. The experience is not substantive but is fluffy fun.

Holiday Cheer: Vegan Midori Melon Cupcakes

As a cheeky Christmas cheers to my hometown of Tokyo and my present home in LA, I created a Vegan Midori Melon Cupcake. The way to win friends and influence people in la-la land (remember Dale Carnegie?) is to bake something vegan and/or gluten-free!

Swirls of Midori Melon frosting says Merry Christmas to this vegan cupcake recipe.

The Vegan Midori Melon Frosting is the best part of the cupcake. (Isn’t it always?) Although tinged with the adult taste of Midori Melon alcohol, the frosting resembles the iced Japanese Mister Donuts I inhaled as a child. Yes, it’s sweet. But you sort of need a scrumptious frosting because the cake is well, vegan. The cupcake is whole milk and egg-deprived. But as vegan baked goods go, I’d give the cake a B+ for softness and texture. Still, I’m happy to say Happy Christmas this season with Vegan Midori Melon Cupcakes!

Vegan Midori Melon Cupcakes

Muskmelon flavored Japanese Midori Melon liquor is swirled into this vegan vanilla cupcake recipe. The Midori Melon cupcake is soft and tastiest when topped with the Ninja Baker's Vegan Midori Melon Frosting.

The cake recipe is adapted from Je suis alimentageuse Vegan Midori Melon Frosting is a NinjaBaker.com special.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

1 cup vegetable oil
1½ cups sugar
4 Ener-G egg replacer vegan eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ cups almond milk
½ cup Midori Melon liquor

For the frosting:

8-ounces vegan cream cheese
6 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Midori Melon liquor
Green food coloring

Directions:

With a handheld electric mixer beat together the vegetable oil, sugar, vegan eggs and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder. Pour in the almond milk and Midori Melon liquor.

Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool. Frost with Vegan Midori Melon Frosting: Fluff up 8-ounces of vegan cream cheese. Gradually add 6 cups of powdered sugar and the Midori Melon. Squeeze in drops of green food coloring.

If the vegan trend is not one you embrace, here’s a display of stellar cupcakes celebrating Cupcake Day. The celebration is hosted by the always creative and talented Coleen, The Redhead Baker.

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes by The Redhead Baker
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes by The Cooking Actress
Vanilla Candy Cane Cupcakes by Noshing With The Nolands
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Nerds Cupcakes by Amy's Confectionery Adventures
Vegan Midori Melon Cupcakes by NinjaBaker
Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes with Candied Butter Pecan Frosting by From Gate to Plate
Dark Chocolate Rum Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream by Lemony Thyme
Gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting by Eva Bakes
Cranberry Apple Cupcakes by The Pajama Chef
Almond Joy Cupcakes by Our Eating Habits
Buttered Rum Cupcakes by Adventures in All Things Food
Maple Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Karen's Kitchen Stories
Cone Head Cupcakes with Ice Cream Frosting by The Spiffy Cookie
Candied Buddha's Hand-Eggnog Cupcakes by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Almond Joy Cupcakes by Food Lust People Love
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting for 2 by Kate's Recipe Box
Cranberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream by Cheese Curd In Paradise
Peppermint Patty Cupcakes by Comfortably Domestic
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Biscoff Marshmallow Buttercream by Making Miracles
Chocolate Cupcakes with Red Velvet Frosting by {i love} my disorganized life
Lemon Cupcakes by Miss Information
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes by Kosher Kitchen
Peppermint Cream Cookie Cupcakes by Take a Bite out of Boca
Cupcake Christmas Wreath by Lick the Spoon

Wishing you cupcake sweetness and joy!

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Follow Ninja Baker @NinjaBaking's board NinjaBaker.com Sweets on Pinterest.

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The Ninja Baker’s Japanese Plum Wine Brownie Chip Ice Cream, #ChocolateParty

NinjaBaker — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 08:46:40 +0000

Roxana of Roxana’s Home Baking is celebrating one year of hosting her Chocolate Party. Every month she invites foodies from the blogosphere to bring their best chocolate treats to the virtual party. As this month celebrates a momentous anniversary, Roxana is requesting an extra-special family favorite.

The Ninja Baker's Japanese Plum Wine Brownie Chip Ice Cream
is sandwiched between two giant chocolate cookies.

Do you want to join the fun? Roxana is giving away fabulous party favors! Here’s how this month’s invite reads:

Bring your favorite chocolate dessert to Roxana’s home baking #chocolateparty and win amazing prizes from OXO, Calphalon, Keurig, Imperial Sugar, Honey Ridge Farms and Land O Lakes® Butter

An elegant and easy trifle:
Japanese Plum Wine Brownie Chip Ice Cream with brownie bits.

I’m bringing The Ninja Baker’s Japanese Plum Wine Brownie Chip Ice Cream. In our Tokyo home, Japanese plum wine was enjoyed only for truly momentous events. My sister’s 16th birthday was one of those rare events. We took the precious bottle of alcohol with the wrinkled plums out of the pantry and raised our glasses. To celebrate Roxana’s one-year Chocolate Party birthday, I combined brownies (a family favorite) with plum wine in ice cream. (If you like the idea of mixing liquor into ice cream, click here for a Buttery Bourbon Ice Cream recipe.)

Wine plus chocolate in ice cream equals celebration!

The Ninja Baker’s Japanese Plum Wine Brownie Chip Ice Cream

First you’ll need to make brownies. A favorite go-to is the recipe from the Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate box. Bake and cool.

For ice cream recipes, I run to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home cookbook.
Using Jeni’s Vanilla Bean recipe as a base I churned a lovely Japanese plum wine brownie chip ice cream. I substituted ¼ of the heavy cream with wine. To
balance the subtraction of cream fat, I added 1½ tablespoons of vanilla pudding mix. Droplets of pink food coloring were also mixed in. Last and not least, 1 cup of crumbled brownie bits were dropped into the churning ice cream.

Wishing you many reasons to celebrate every day.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

#wine

#Ice cream

#Chocolate Party