The restaurant where I work is known for providing the area with a generous lox platter unlike anything else to be found for miles.  It’s one of our most popular dishes, selling like mad every weekend.

I am the resident baker (surprise, surprise) and when I saw the bagels and lox cupcakes in the wonderful book, Hello, Cupcake!, you could say I was a little more than inspired.

The owner of the restaurant, a woman who I simply cannot describe in mere words (who is also my biggest fan, I daresay), was born and raised in Brooklyn and loves, loves, LOVES her Jewish cuisine.  Especially her lox.

So, this weekend, I am surprising her by bringing a dozen “bagels and lox cupcakes” to the restaurant.  She has no idea what the special cupcake will be this weekend, but I have a feeling she’ll be thrilled.

Though the recipe in the book is slightly different (it recommends lemon poppy seed, of which I am not a fan), here’s what I did.  I highly recommend the book for inspiration and fun.  As a bread baker, I often need to be inspired to move beyond my beloved gluten.  This book definitely does that.

Recipe: (yields 24)

• One box yellow cake mix (without pudding in the mix!)
• 1 cup buttermilk (to replace the water on the box instructions)
• 4 eggs (more than what the box says)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

For the decoration:

• One strand of green Twizzlers (from the rainbow licorice pack), with little slices cut at an angle
• One orange Starburst Fruit Chew for each cupcake
• One mini-donut for each cupcake (plain cake is best, or the crumb will work for an “everything bagel”)
• 2 T. light corn syrup
• 2 T. poppy seeds
• One 16-ounce can of cream cheese frosting at room temperature

In large mixer bowl,  combine all of the ingredients, mixing on low for about 30 seconds.  Then mix on high for another two minutes, until the batter is thick.

Fill the paper cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full.  Bake on convection at 325 degrees (350 without convection) for about 10-15 minutes until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Let cupcakes cool completely.  I like to leave them in the tin for five minutes to let everything settle, then I remove them and cool them on a cooling rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling, assemble the bagels and lox decorations.

1. Slice the mini-donuts in half
2. Spread the bottom of the “bagel” with white cream cheese frosting, set aside.
3. Microwave corn syrup for 15 seconds.  Dip a finger in the syrup and lightly coat the tops of each of the “bagels.”

The "bagel tops" garnished with poppy seeds

It really looks like a bagel, eh?

1. Sprinkle poppy seeds on the tops of the “bagels.”
2. Microwave a few Starbursts for about 4 seconds.
3. With a rolling pin, roll them into a flat shape, resembling lox, and score a few times with a knife, to look like lox scales.
4. Bend/fold the “lox” to look like, well, lox, then place on the lower half of the “bagel.”

Assembled Bagel and Lox waiting for a cupcake

When the cupcakes are cool enough to frost, do so.  Then, place the bottom half of the mini-donut bagel in the center of the cupcake.  Place the top half tilted on the top of the cupcake.  Sprinkle with the cut up green Twizzlers (these are scallions!) and set aside.

You’re finished!!!

Completed Bagel and Lox Cupcake

So, have you made anything from Hello, Cupcake!?  If so, please link to it in this post, and stay tuned as I make my way through more of these inspiring cupcake creations.