Creative Cupcakes

Architect by day and baker by night, Ming Thompson is inventing some delectable desserts—and blogging about it

By Maya Mackowiak Elson
Published: September 15th, 2010 | 12:00am

You never guess it, but baking is just a hobby for Ming Thompson. The cupcakes pictured at her refreshingly minimalist blog Ming Makes Cupcakes look like something straight out of a professional kitchen. But no—this girl, who just finished architecture school and is currently working as an exhibition designer and curator, whips up cakes at night from home. We caught up with her for a quick chat, and even snagged a recipe that's perfect for fall—try it after a day of apple picking.

Venus Zine: How did you get started with baking these fab desserts? Do you have any formal training?

Ming Thompson: My parents run an amazing restaurant in Virginia, Cuz's Uptown Barbeque, and I grew up in their kitchen watching them experiment and invent new dishes. I've always loved cooking, but I have never been much of a baker. Last summer, I realized that I had no reliable cake recipes (I usually used box mixes), so I decided to develop a set of recipes for all the different cake types—white, chocolate, fruit, and so on. I documented the process as I went along, and that's how the blog came to be.

VZ: How do you come up with your flavor combinations and recipes?

MT: The flavors come from a variety of sources—friends' suggestions, things I see in the grocery store, trips I've taken. I made a coconut rum one after a trip to Puerto Rico—and I've been wanting to make a peach cupcake inspired by a trip home to Virginia and a tamarind cupcake inspired by my trip to Kerala last year.

VZ: Which is your favorite?

MT: I think I have a different favorite every day. Today, I think it's the banana with maple brown butter icing. I've also been working on a really dark chocolate icing that would go well on the banana cupcake.

VZ: I love your blog—just the facts. What's your goal for the website?

MT: The blog presents photos and recipes in a minimalist way, without all the visual clutter that I see on a lot of site. The main goal from the beginning was just to share some tested recipes with my family and friends. It's amazing to me that so many other people visit the site!

Ming's Cupcake 10:
Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

CUPCAKE

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
2 cups peeled, diced apples

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. In a separate bowl, beat together sugar, egg, and oil. Add apples. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

FROSTING

1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, sugar, and cream in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes. remove from heat and add vanilla. Frost cupcakes when cooled.

See all of Ming's cupcake flavors and keep up with her new concoctions at mingmakescupcakes.yolasite.com.

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