My kid loves everything and anything that has to do with water. Fish, dolphins, sea stars, etc. Her favorite toy is a plush beluga whale. I don’t know where she got that from, certainly not me! I can’t even swim; I’ll sink like a rock.

I want to try out recipes with ocean themes for her birthday, so I decided to try to make some sugar cookie pops shaped like fish and sea stars. I had never made cookie pops before, nor had I ever attempted to ice a cookie using pastry bags. They came out alright. I did take some notes for when I try to make these again to get better results. You’ll find them in the icing recipe.

This recipe yields 5 dozen regular sized cookies. I made the whole recipe, but I only used half. I put the rest in the freezer to use later on. I used Wilton’s fish and star molds and got 18 cookies.

Sugar Cookie Pops
Yield: 5 Dozen Regular Sized Cookies

For the cookies:
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Wooden skewers

Procedure:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/2 an inch thick, at least. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.
3.Insert a skewer into the cookie, and carefully place them 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Because these are usually large cookies, and because of the skewers, you will only be able to fit about 6 cookies per each cookie sheet.
4. Bake 11-13 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely. You’ll know they are done when they begin to turn golden brown in the edges.

For the Royal Icing:
Yields: 3 cups

Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder:

Ingredients:

4 cups (440 grams) confectioners’ (powdered or icing) sugar
3 tablespoons (30 grams) meringue powder
1/2 – 3/4 cup (120 – 180 ml) warm water
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon extract (vanilla, lemon, almond)

Procedure:

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes).
2. If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. To cover or ‘flood’ the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing.

The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.
Separate your icing into as many bowls as you need, depending on what colors you want to use. Add the food coloring with a toothpick, a little bit goes a long way.

Notes:

• Food Coloring (I use Gel Pastes that can be found at cake decorating and party stores or else on-line)
• Regarding the flavoring, I didn’t use any at all. I wanted pure white frosting, so if you want it to remain white, use a clear extract, such as almond.
• I did have to put extra confectioners’ sugar. When I first iced my sea stars, the icing started to run. Add sugar by tablespoonfuls until you get to the right consistency. It shouldn’t run, but it has to be easy to pipe or spread.
Also, to make the details, use the thinnest tip.  The lines in my fish cookies are a bit too thick for my taste.

We’re including this video from Whimsical Cookies, which was very useful to me to get the idea of how to decorate the cookies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjvO2CjhzLA

I love figs, in syrup, dried, or candied.  You only find green ones at the market, so I have never actually had a fresh ripe fig.  I wanted to try to make my own figs in syrup and I finally got a hold on some fresh ones I could cook.  My friend Edith gave me instructions on how to cook them, so I tried them out and I am enjoying my little batch, let me tell you.

Figs in Star Anise Syrup
A Foodies’ Original Recipe
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 pound of fresh figs (about 20)
Water for cooking the figs
½ cinnamon stick
4 whole allspice grains
2 star anise
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
4 cups of sugar
4 cups of water

Procedure:

1. First off, you have to remove the stem from the figs. As you will notice, a white milky residue will begin to come out. That makes the figs bitter and we don’t want that in our syrup.  Also, using your knife make a cross in the bottom of the figs so they cook properly and absorb the syrup.
2. Cook them in enough water to cover them, for 40 min.
3. You’ll see that the water will be murky and whitish. Throw it out and set your figs aside.
4. In the same pot, add the 4 cups of water and the 4 cups of sugar. Stir until dissolved. Return the figs to your pot with the sugar water and add the cinnamon stick, the allspice grains, the star anise and the lemon zest.  Let them cook some more (uncovered) with all these ingredients until you have your syrup.  It should take about 20 min.
5. Serve cold.

My grandma Flory is from San Antonio Suchitepequez, a south western town in Guatemala. One of the things that she loves about San Antonio (and so do I!) is it’s chocolate tablets.

Guatemala has one of the best chocolates in the world, and depending on which city you find chocolate, the cacao beans go through a different process to become the tablets that we’ve showed you before, the same ones that we’ve used to make Hot Chocolate. One of the most famous chocolates from Guatemala is the one made in Mixco: they toast the cacao beans, peal them, grind it (twice) and the paste gets mixed with cinnamon or almonds.  In San Antonio Suchitepequez the process is very similar, but instead of adding just cinnamon, they add sugar to it. When making any recipe with chocolate from San Antonio, you have to take note of this, if not, you’re going to have a very sweet result.

For the cupcakes, we’ve been looking for ideas to bring Guatemalan elements (as the chocolate or the roselle flowers), and finally got a recipe that would work perfectly with the chocolate. We modified it and added a bit of cayenne pepper to contrast with the sweetness of the tablet chocolate. I can’t wait to get back to Guate and make these for her… I want to know if the recipe will be up to her standards- both as a great (kitchen) teacher and as a San Antonio girl who loves her chocolate. We hope you like it!

Guatemalan Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
A Foodies’ Guatemalan Touch Original & Adapted from Emeril Lagasse’s Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablet Guatemalan Chocolate, in small bite size pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 1 (12-cup) muffin tin.
2. Sift together all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper.
3. Soften the butter and add the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the egg, then the buttermilk, beating until combined after each.
4. Add the hot water last. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
5. Stir in the guatemalan chocolate bits.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tin wells.
7. Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
8. Cool to room temperature in the tins. Run a thin, sharp knife around the sides of the muffin cups to loosen the cupcakes, and carefully lift out. Place the cupcakes on a work surface.

Simple Buttercream Frosting
Yield: Enough for heavily frosted 12 cupcakes

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter until smooth.
2. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar; beat until smooth.
3. If too thick to spread, beat in one by one the milk tablespoons, checking the consistency after adding each one.
4. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cooled.
5. Grate chocolate on top of the frosted cupcakes for decoration.

Note: You can find Guatemalan Hot Chocolate online at Azotea Estate.

For a long time, I was allergic to nuts- all types of nuts.  Because of that, I’ve never had the slightest curiosity for Peanut Butter or Peanut Butter Cookies. Jake loves PB Cookies, so browsing online I found this great recipe and Jake loved it! This one is great for freezing and making ahead. It’s best to get the peanut butter filled candy than the chocolate covered peanuts, they are easier to bite!

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Cookies
Makes 36 cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Granulated sugar
3 dozen milk chocolate stars or candy-coated chocolate-covered peanuts

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Stir together 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, shortening and egg.
2. Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate star firmly in each cookie; cool on wire rack.

Edith shared this recipe with me, and be both decided to try it. She used the bread flour that the recipe calls for and I used all-purpose flour. The results were not that different.  She had a more compact solid bread, and mine was a bit crumbly and seemed to be a bit spongier.  The consistency of this bread is not as we expected it to be, like bread.  It doesn’t have the consistency of cake either, but it was delicious. You can add walnuts, or almonds to it if you want. The first picture is my rendition of the bread, made with all-purpose flour and the second one is Edith’s version with bread flour.

Chocolate Bread
Recipe from David Lebovitz
One 9-inch (23 cm) loaf

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (180 ml) whole or low-fat milk, heated until just tepid
1 envelope active dry yeast (1/4 ounce, or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar
4 tablespoons (55 g) butter, salted or unsalted
3 ounces (85 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder (optional)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups (280 g) bread flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces, 90 g) chocolate chips or coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup (70 g) toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Add one tablespoon (11 g) sugar, then set aside in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface.
2. While the yeast is activating, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and 3 ounces (85 g) chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Once the yeast mixture is frothy, mix in the remaining sugar, the instant coffee (if using), the egg, vanilla, and sea salt.
4. Stir in half the flour and cocoa powder, then the melted butter and chocolate, then the remaining flour mixture, stirring until well-incorporated. If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and beat for five minutes, until smooth. If making by hand, mix vigorously with a flexible spatula for the same amount of time. The dough will seem quite moist, resembling sticky brownie batter when ready.
5. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
6. Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) loaf pan.
7. Stir in the chopped chocolate and nuts, if using. Then use a spatula to fold the dough over on itself in the bowl for about thirty seconds, then transfer it to the buttered pan, pressing a bit to spread it to the corners. Let rise in a warm place for one hour.
8. Ten minutes before you’re ready to bake the bread, preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC.)
9. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, until it feels done and sounds hollow when you tap it. You can stick an instant-read thermometer in the bottom if you’re unsure; the bread is done when the temperature reads 180ºF (82Cº).

These cupcakes are made from a vanilla cupcake recipe which is brushed with Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur and topped with a cocoa buttercream flavored with the same liqueur.

You can use any chocolate liqueur, or any other flavor you choose, actually. These can be made in the same manner with a berry flavored schnapps, or with Kahlua.

Godiva Liqueur Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Godiva chocolate liqueur, or other chocolate liqueur

Godiva Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 tbsp Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 tsp vanilla extract
approx 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened Hershey’s cocoa)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease line 10 cups from a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cups liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract. Pour in dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. Evenly distribute batters into prepared pans.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack before frosting.
7. Brush liqueur on top of the cupcakes, about 1 teaspoonful for each.

Preparation For the Frosting:

1. In a large bowl, beat together butter, rum and vanilla.
2. Gradually blend in the confectioner’s sugar until smooth.
3. Blend cocoa powder and beat until smooth. Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

I can’t tell you how delicious these cupcakes are! You can make them with or without the condensed milk pudding filling, but I recommend you try it.  The whipped cream topping is perfect for these little cakes.

Coffee Cupcakes with Condensed Milk Pudding
and Whipped Cream Topping

Yields:24 regular cupcakes
Recipe from Cupcakeblog

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon coffee grounds

Procedure:

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
5. Measure out coffee and milk together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the coffee/milk mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and coffee and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Fold in the teaspoon of coffee grounds.
10. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes. Note that these cupcakes will shrink slightly when they cool).
11. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Tip: Be careful when adding the coffee/milk mixture to the batter. If you add it too quickly the mixture will look curdled. Add small amounts and beat well to incorporate.

Condensed Milk Pudding

This is the pudding I was telling you about. It is not too sweet, and it has a thick and smooth texture. You will use this to fill cooked cupcakes using a piping bag.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over a 1/4 cup of water and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. In a small pan over medium heat, heat the  condensed milk until warm.
3. Add the gelatin and stir over heat until the gelatin melts.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl set over a pan of ice water. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. It will get very thick and might clump if you stop stirring.

To fill the cupcakes, place the pudding inside a piping bag with the filling tip, poke into the baked cupcake and squeeze about 1 tablespoonful of the pudding into each one.

Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Whisk cream on high speed until soft peaks form.
2. Add confectioner’s sugar (more or less depending on your taste) and whip until thick.
3. Top with swirls or dollops of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
4. Dust with finely ground coffee.

It’s summer in the US, and one of my favorite things in the kitchen is baking. I wanted a cupcake recipe that wouldn’t be as heavy as the usual recipes are. I fond this recipe on MarthaStewart.com, and I’ve already made it a couple of times. I added a bit of Orange juice and zest to the original recipe. I think it gives it the last kick to the cupcakes to be perfect. I used a medium size tin and got 24 cupcakes each time. This is also great to bring to a summer BBQ, you just have to wait about 45 minutes until the glaze is completely set so you can put them on top of each other without worrying about them being ruined while moving.

Glazed Lemon & Orange Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 24 cupcakes

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest and juice
½ orange, zest and juice
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, large
½ cup confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease with shortening and flour two 12 medium size muffin tins.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, and the zest and juice of the orange and lemon. Set aside.
5. With an electric mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk mixture.
8. Fill muffin cups 1/2 way through.
9. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
10. Cool 10 minutes in tin, then cool completely on a rack.
11. Set rack over wax or parchment paper.
12. In a small bowl, stir confectioners’ sugar with remaining lemon juice until smooth. Pour over cakes, spreading to edges with a small knife. Let set 30 minutes.

Nutella Swirl Vanilla Cupcakes
Note: The recipe says it makes 1 dozen cupcakes.
I have made this recipe twice, and I got 24 cupcakes both times for each.

Ingredients:
1½ sticks unsalted butter
1¾ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2½ teaspoons baking powder
2½ cups flour
1¼ cups milk
1/2 cup Nutella

Procedure:

1. To prepare oven, muffin tin: Preheat over to 375 degrees. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Line standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. To make cupcakes: In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, vanilla, salt and baking powder. Add flour in 3 batches, alternating with milk. Beat at low speed for 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth and satiny.
3. To bake cupcakes: Divide batter evenly among cups. Fill the cups up to half in each cup, otherwise they may overflow when baking.   Place 1 tablespoon of Nutella on top, and swirl it around with a toothpick.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean.
5. Cool on wire rack for 45 minutes or until at room temperature.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

Don’t be alarmed by the long instructions. This is actually not hard to make if you do things right, so we are detailing every little thing to make sure you are successful at making your buttercream.

This is a basic frosting for cupcakes and cakes. It makes a very smooth and creamy topping, What you do is pour a sugar syrup into whipped egg whites, making a very thick meringue and then you beat butter into it. As a variation, we added 1 teaspoon almond flavor and 1 teaspoon Frangelico liquor. You can put in any flavoring, like vanilla, or rum. But don’t put in more than 2 teaspoons! Otherwise you will ruin the buttercream. (It will curdle and separate)

Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes (heavily frosted)

Ingredients:
5 egg whites
8 oz (1 cup) granulated sugar
2 oz (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
¼ cup water
16 oz unsalted butter

Procedure:

1. Make the syrup: Mix 8oz of sugar and ¼ cup water in a pot. Wash down the sides of the pot with a wet brush, to get any sugar crystals that may have clinged to the sides of the pot. I do this to avoid having my syrup crystallize. Once you get one crystal, it’s like a chain reaction and you have to start all over again.
2. Place the pot on medium heat, and DO NOT TOUCH IT OR STIR IT. Put in your candy thermometer, and let it cook until it reaches 245Fº.  It took me about 8-10 minutes to reach the temperature.
3. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Once they have reached the stiff peak stage, add the 2 oz of sugar and continue beating until the sugar combines, for about 1 minute.
4. When the syrup has reached its temperature add it to the beaten egg whites, while the beater is still on high speed. Add it in a slow, steady stream. You have to coninue beating the egg whites until the bowl has cooled down, about 10-12 min. By this point you will have a very thick meringue.
5. While the beater is still on add the butter, a little at a time. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, firm but easy to cut.
6. Add flavoring of your choice, but put it 1 teaspoon at a time. And don’t add more than 2 teaspoons of flavoring.

TIPS:

• For the syrup: When it is cooking, contain the urge to move it. Don’t touch it, or it can crystallize. Even though the recipe may call for medium – high temperature, we recommend you cook it on medium temperature.
• Butter: Make sure the butter is at room temperature, it has to be firm, but easy to cut. I left mine outside too long and it was quite soft. I had to put the buttercream in the fridge for it to firm up, and then beat it again.

Variation:
You can also use only the Italian meringue to frost these cupcakes. Don’t add butter to it, and you have a thick meringue frosting you can also work with.

Two Tone Frosting Technique

1. Make a butter cream frosting that is thick enough to pipe with. We recommend you use gel colors for this. Pick the colors you want, and distribute them accordingly on separate bowls.
2. Take a disposable pastry bag, place a scoop of frosting in it, for example Caramel color.
3. Take a second disposable pastry bag, place a scoop of frosting in it, for example Chocolate Color
4. Grab the two bags, with the caramel and chocolate colors in them and place them side by side inside a third disposable pastry bag.
5. Cut the bags, to make the opening where the icing will pipe out. At this point you will have two bags inside a third bag, place your piping tip on it. I didn’t use a coupler; I held the tip in place with one hand and piped with the other.
6. Pipe cupcakes! Use Wilton 1M tip, to make large swirls.

Extra Help:
Visit this link for a video on how to make the buttercream, which was very helpful to us. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxWmiHRTMz8

So, you remember the Mother’s Day Fiasco from this past May, where with Helga, we both struggled with the buttercream and cupcakes. We both ended up talking about it several times, and doing some research on what should be our next recipe for buttercream  or frosting. I decided to try this one from Epicurious: Creamy Vanilla Frosting. I don’t know if it’s because I’m using a hand mixer or something was off that day, but the bottom line is that the frosting never got right to where it was supposed to-again looked like -pancake mix, and I just cleaned the evidence. At the end I just gave up and got some confectioners’ sugar on top of them. I won’t stop trying though, but I do need a break from the frosting-buttercream fiasco. I shall stick to classic frosting (from my grands) confectioner’s sugar, butter, vanilla and water- soon on The Foodie’ Kitchen.

Pink Velvet Cupcakes
Adapted from Paula Deen’s Recipe, The Food Network
Yield: 24 cupcakes

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 eggs large, room temperature
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
4. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer.
5. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled.
7. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness.
8. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.