Yep, you read that right: I’m trying out a curiouser & curiouser podcast!
(!!!)
It’s something I’ve wanted to introduce for a while now, and I’m thrilled to be able to roll out a first episode for y’all to check out.
Why a podcast for curiouser & curiouser?
Because:
- I love podcasts (and I know many of you do, too!). They’re such a convenient way to get information, aren’t they? I listen all the time in my car, or while Maggie and I are taking a walk.
- They allow me to be conversational in a way that my writing just can’t convey.
- I also get to have excuses to talk to amazing people about cool things — stuff I’m interested in and hope y’all will be, too!
- I feel like it’s a great way to pull my journalistic background into my blog in addition to the writing component.
Brittany McGee, the mastermind behind The Humble Bee Shoppe bakery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was up for being my guinea pig for this first episode, and I’m so grateful to her for that!
(Also, shout-out to my friend Amanda for taking some beautiful photos of the hands-on baking session Brittany and I had before we sat down for the podcast portion.)
In addition to the podcast portion, I’ve also included a recipe to Brittany’s delicious (and simple!) vegan buttercream frosting below, as well as a few notes about our time together baking.
Ready to listen? Here you go! (But also, come back and keep reading for some vegan frosting tips!):
So? What did you think? Please leave me a comment with your feedback!
Okay, on to the frosting recipe!
When Brittany and IÂ were together, she walked me through a vegan chocolate cupcake recipe (we even made our own vegan buttermilk using soy milk and a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, which was so cool) and their frosting. I loved that Brittany used crushed freeze-dried raspberries (from Trader Joe’s) as a decoration for her cupcakes. Not only did they add amazing color, they also added flavor and texture — naturally! She also topped the cupcakes with some gold sprinkle dust, which took things up an extra notch in the presentation department. (You can never go wrong with sprinkles. That’s my philosophy, at least.)
Both the cupcakes and their frosting turned out amazingly well, and Brittany was kind enough to share her frosting recipe with us. (This is for a basic vegan buttercream, and you can add some cocoa powder or other ingredients to switch up the flavor. Use this as a base recipe and don’t be afraid to get creative from here!):
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Earth Balance Baking Sticks (room temperature)
- 8-10 cups confectioner’s sugar (sifted)
- 1 cup unrefined organic coconut oil (room temperature)
- 1 Tablespoon extract (I prefer half almond, half vanilla)
Directions:
- Take room-temperature baking sticks and coconut oil and whip them together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 2-4 minutes (until incorporated).
- Slowly, half a cup at a time, add SIFTED confectioner’s sugar at medium-high speed.
- After adding eight cups, assess the texture of the buttercream. If it’s too loose, add more powdered sugar (half a cup at a time).
- Beat buttercream for at least 8-10 minutes in stand mixer at medium-high speed.
- Add vanilla extract (or extract of choice).
- Frosting can keep at room temperature for at least an hour (just make sure to re-whip before use).
- It can also be stored in the freezer for about one month. Make sure to thaw it out to room temperature (no higher than 65 degrees F) and then re-whip.
- If you are going to add any food coloring, make sure to do so when you add the extracts.
If you live in Winston and haven’t checked out The Humble Bee Shoppe yet, you’re most definitely missing out. The bakery is located at 1003 Brookstown Avenue (right around the corner from Mozelle’s) and is open Wednesday through Sunday. In addition to the amazingly tasty treats offered in-store daily, Brittany also makes beautiful custom cakes, so be sure to keep that in mind the next time you have a special event.
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