Love and Adoration

At the risk of sounding like I'm complaining, I'm a little sad that for the second year in a row Gabriel will be punching the clock on Valentine's Day. Valentine's has always been Gabriel's holiday, inducted the first year we were together when he planned an indoor picnic complete with chocolate dipped strawberries.

Over the past 8 years he's planned celebrations which include a weekend trip to New York City, a day trip snowboarding on Mt. Hood, and a French tour of Portland, to name a few. I always look forward to Valentine's Day; the flowers, the chocolate, the romance, and every other aspect of the holiday's once a year trite, rewarding and clichè festivities.

With that said, for me, Valentine's Day isn't just about celebrating the love you have for your partner. It's about sharing the love you have for everyone in your life. Inspired by this sweet upcoming holiday I paired cheesecake and cupcakes to create a delicious treat for my coworkers who I adore and love immensely.

Tart Cheesecakes

Cheesecake Batter
8oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
½ cup whipping cream
1 egg
Whip together until thick, smooth and creamy
Set aside

Cupcake Batter
¾ cup butter
½ cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
Mix until well incorporated and mixture turns lighter shade

Add
3 egg yolks
½ cup lemon juice
Zest from two large lemons
Mix together

Add
1 ¾ cup white flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Mix alternately with
½ cup buttermilk

Spoon batter into baking cups until ¾ full, (2 spoonfuls of cupcake batter to 1 spoonful of cheesecake batter)
Bake at F350°, 25-30 minutes until fluffy and set, cake will fall once cooled
Allow to cool completely before transferring to wire rack

Alternatively layer bottom of baking cup with cheesecake layer - bake for 5-10 minutes, then add cupcake batter until ¾ full and continue baking

Frosting
16 oz. cream cheese
2-3 cups powdered sugar
½ cup softened butter
¼ cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Beat together with handheld mixer until smooth

Finalè
Pipe frosting onto top of cupcakes
Adorn with sugared hearts

One year ago: Sundae Crêpes, Raspberry Orange

Two years ago: Happy Birthday Melinda, Chocolate Almond Cake with alternating Walnut Buttercream and Vanilla Mousse