VCTOTW Icing problemos
Ok so I just got Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World last week and I'm pretty excited about the adventure I'm embarking on. I made the mint cupcakes first thing and they were great, best cupcakes of my life, you guys know...the icing was perfect
But today I went to make a batch of cookies and cream and another of pumpkin chocolate chip and the cupcakes turned out fine...but the icing did NOT.
The cinnamon one to go on the pumpkin ones didn't resemble any icing I've ever seen...more like a glaze, not that it was bad. It just didn't look right, so I think I did something wrong. And they said you were supposed to pipe it, and there was no way what I made could be piped...just drizzled. I followed the recipe exactly, so I'm pretty perplexed
And for the cookies and cream one the icing looked fine up until it came time to add the liquids, after the soymilk it was way too liquidy. It looked fine pre soymilk, but I figured if it called for it, I'd throw that in. A little of it stayed on the cuppacakas, but it wasn't nearly as thick as in the pictures and some of slid off.
Moral of the story...is there some kind of weird trick I'm missing out on? Should I just leave out the soymilk in the future? Does anyone else have problems with it?
I cook by feel. And by that I mean if it feels good to you, leave it as is. The liquid in the icing recipes should only be like a tablespoon or so, it will not change the taste if you leave it out or add more if needed. With something like frosting you are going for texture, thickness, consistency. Its ok to add in an additional 1/2 cup of sugar if it seems too loose. Its fine to add in another splash of soy milk if its too thick.
Honestly, I have only made the chocolate butter cream, the lemon butter cream and the chocolate mousse. I have a hard time making my margarine and shortening at room temperature but if I do, it turns out marvelous. Keep tying! One important thing I need to do, is measure out the sugar first, sift it and then add it scoop by scoop. Because I know I have gotten to 5 scoops and stopped because I forgot what number I was on! heh
Join the forums at post punk kitchen and there is a large possibility of Isa herself answering your question -- or someone else there who has made the recipe a bunch.
there have been numerous typos in the book too.
the ppk had a thread on their board about it.
I have made the pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes also (loved them) and the cinnamon icing. Mine was also more of a glaze--albeit a delicious glaze--but no piping possible. I only used 1 T of margarine but the rest was by the book. It would have been way soupy with 2 T margarine. Anyway, it was yummy so I didn't care too much. Glad to hear I am not the only one with that problem!
Yes. A LOT of typos. (Which I personally think is ridiculous.)
Yes. A LOT of typos. (Which I personally think is ridiculous.)
maybe they'll hire me as editor (hey, don't laugh, i just have lots of type-o's because i don't read over anything ::))
I knew there were a lot of typos, but I'm supposed to be invincible. (Veganomicon has lots of typos too, apparently...kinda weird)
I've blamed it on the weather to anyone that will listen..that's what my grandma does when her baking stuff doesn't work out
I went to the PPK forums and read around, mainly reaffirmed my suspicions that everyone else figured it out except for me...ah well, next time I'll just feel out the cookies and cream one and do a different one for the pumpkin ones.
I hate to keep harping on this . . . .but the typos in her book are a major pet peeve of mine. It's right there at the top of my list along with dirty health food stores and awful service at vegetarian restaurants. As though being veg*n means you are somehow not "uptight" and therefore you have a free pass to be lazy and slovenly and careless.
I saw Isa's thread where people were pointing out typos in the book and she chimes in "OMG. I just saw the blah blah cupcakes call for 1/2 cup soymilk instead of a cup." WHAT?? Are you joking? I'm sure your publisher sent you galleys. Didn't you read them? In fact, didn't you read them, say, 15 times? It's a small book and there aren't THAT many recipes. I think it is pathetic. I also think she owes her readers an apology and should set up a permanent website that lists all the corrections for the book.
Feel better now!
i know, its totally annoying. i hate finally getting the motivation to make one of her (complicated) recipes, then have em screw up, or have to run to the comp to typo check! >:( it takes like a half hour for me to boot this baby up!
plus, i found the board as confusing as all heck... its too much drama for me to even bother making any of the recipes!
i dont know what was up w/ the publishing either...i think someone said that it was printed in china, so maybe some language barriers??
there should be some sort of compensation. like a complimentary home cooked meal made by isa if you bought the typo-ed book. :P
Okay, I remade the cinnamon icing last night and just did it by feel and it came out perfect. I used 1 T margarine, 1 T soy milk, probably 1 t cinnamon and then added powdered sugar until it looked right. It got thick and creamy and held together. I didn't pipe it cause I had just done 3 batches of diffferent cupcakes and real truthfully had lost my motivation ;), but it would have piped very nicely. I just spread it on and it looks cute like that even.
Okay, I remade the cinnamon icing last night and just did it by feel and it came out perfect. I used 1 T margarine, 1 T soy milk, probably 1 t cinnamon and then added powdered sugar until it looked right. It got thick and creamy and held together. I didn't pipe it cause I had just done 3 batches of diffferent cupcakes and real truthfully had lost my motivation ;), but it would have piped very nicely. I just spread it on and it looks cute like that even.
Foiled again!
Did you use the amount of powdered sugar they called for in the recipe? Or a lot more?
wow, i didn't know about the typos-- only tried one recipe from the cupcake book, and the icing did not turn out so great. actually it was a little gross (very greasy). however, it was a recipe that used shortening, and in the past i've had the same problem when shortening was used. it was earth balance vegan shortening, so i don't think it was the brand or anything, but who knows.
anyway thanks for the info! i'll have to check the ppk for corrections.
and i wholeheartedly agree that typos in books, especially in cookbooks where recipe amounts can be integral (like in baking), is simply unacceptable.
Okay, I remade the cinnamon icing last night and just did it by feel and it came out perfect. I used 1 T margarine, 1 T soy milk, probably 1 t cinnamon and then added powdered sugar until it looked right. It got thick and creamy and held together. I didn't pipe it cause I had just done 3 batches of diffferent cupcakes and real truthfully had lost my motivation ;), but it would have piped very nicely. I just spread it on and it looks cute like that even.
Foiled again!
Did you use the amount of powdered sugar they called for in the recipe? Or a lot more?
I am not sure how much ended up in there, I decided not to measure and just went by how it looked. Very yummy though, my coworkers have enjoyed them today!
Okay, I remade the cinnamon icing last night and just did it by feel and it came out perfect. I used 1 T margarine, 1 T soy milk, probably 1 t cinnamon and then added powdered sugar until it looked right. It got thick and creamy and held together. I didn't pipe it cause I had just done 3 batches of diffferent cupcakes and real truthfully had lost my motivation ;), but it would have piped very nicely. I just spread it on and it looks cute like that even.
Foiled again!
Did you use the amount of powdered sugar they called for in the recipe? Or a lot more?
I am not sure how much ended up in there, I decided not to measure and just went by how it looked. Very yummy though, my coworkers have enjoyed them today!
powdered sugar can be a bit finicky too... anything from humidity to the slightest amount of moisture in your sugar bag/ bowl or a measurement can make it too watery or too thick. i use the measurements as a guide, personally, but i always have to play w/ it too.
Well see like..it was raining outside so SURELY that was the real problem. Not ME, I'm perfeck
well, that goes without saying fee! ;)