By Susie Timm, Head Cheese
I had what can only be described as a “poetic” experience today. I tried a Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese Cupcake from Ollie Cakes (Urban Cookies) and it was so amazing I cannot stop thinking about it.
Baker Brady Breese directed me to their website to find the recipe and I have re-posted it below for your baking pleasure.
This cupcake was a moist and crazy blend of sweet and savory. Comfort food meets creative execution. It was simply divine. And yes, it tasted exactly like a grilled cheese sandwich dipped in tomato soup.
All of this wonderfulness took place at the 2nd running of the Cupcake Love In held at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale.
This Mecca is not for the sugar adverse. There were 30 bakeries participating and for $20 we received 7 tasting tickets. I found most of the bakeries were willing to hand off a cupcake and declined acceptance of my ticket. So theoretically I could have consumed a ridiculous amount of cupcakes at the event, but frankly I ended up only tasting 6 different cupcakes.
Last year, I was a judge at this event and ended up tasting 85 cupcakes. That memory lives in infamy (and in the memory of my stomach as I found out today) so I limited my intake, seriously.
Barb’s Bakery had a chipotle grasshopper cupcake with a chocolate covered actual grasshopper on top of it on display. I was not brave enough to sample it, but I did snap a quick photo.
A few other standouts include my favorite Mango Lassi cupcake from 24 Carrots Juice, I loved the chocolate frosting on the pretzel cupcake from Modern Steak. As always, Honeymoon sweets had great cakes with stunning presentation.
There were dozens others I didn’t try–all in all, the event was a sugar-spun center of fun, smiles and a lot of glazed attendees and participants alike!
Until next year, enjoy this recipe and I’ll be dreaming of the Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese Cupcakes tonight.
Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Cupcake
Recipe courtesy of Brady Breese, Urban Cookies & OllieCake, 2011
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup diced canned tomatoes, strained
1 cup creamy tomato soup
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon ground pink pepper corns
1/3 cup almond meal
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cold water
Parmesan crisps and candied tomatoes, recipes follow
Marscapone honey frosting, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a muffin pan with 12 regular-size cupcake liners. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with paddle attachment or a standard hand held mixer and large mixing bowl, mix oil, sugar, and salt on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add both eggs and continue mixing on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix again on medium speed for 10 seconds. Next, add the tomatoes, tomato soup, thyme, and pepper and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Now, add the almond meal and mix until incorporated. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and baking soda and add to wet ingredient mixture. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Finally, add cold water and mix on medium speed for 5 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl one last time to be sure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Fill the 12 cupcake liners 2/3-full with batter and bake for 18-20 minutes. Rotate pan 180
degrees after 9 minutes of baking. Oven heat and times may vary so bake until tops are no longer wet and spring back upon touching. Cool cupcakes completely.
Keep oven heated at 350 degrees F for baking cupcake toppings below.
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Parmesan Crisps:
1/2 cup shaved raw Parmesan Reggiano cheese
Candied Tomatoes:
3 ounces Sugar Plum tomatoes, (36 small tomatoes, each less than 1-inch)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon sugar
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread shaved cheese evenly, but allow the shavings to lay close together so that when they bake, they melt together to create one large, flat crisp. Set baking sheet with cheese aside. In a medium bowl, toss tomatoes, olive oil, and sugar until tomatoes are fully coated. On a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread tomato mixture evenly and be sure tomatoes are not touching.
Place both cheese and tomato baking sheets in the oven on separate racks and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is no longer bubbling and tomatoes look deflated. Crisp should be yellow, golden brown. Let tomatoes and cheese cool. To remove cheese crisp, gently peel the parchment away from the crisp and break large crisp into smaller, 2×2 inch pieces.
Marscapone Honey Frosting:
16 ounces Marscapone cheese, chilled
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon tapioca flour
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with paddle attachment or a standard hand held mixer and medium mixing bowl, whip Marscapone cheese and honey on medium speed for 10 seconds. In a small bowl, sift powdered sugar and tapioca flour. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated. Finally, scrape sides and bottom of the bowl one last time to be sure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Yield: approximately 2 cups
To Assemble:
Place frosting in a piping bag with a round tip or in a gallon-size plastic baggy. Snip a 1/2-inch off of the corner of the plastic baggy and begin piping frosting onto each cake. You may also frost by simply using a butter knife and spread frosting evenly over each cake. Next, using your fingers, gently place a 2×2-inch piece of Parmesan crisp on each cupcake standing upright.
Finally, creatively place three candied tomatoes on each cupcake.
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Ease of Preparation: intermediate
