Tonight I had a craving for a delicious cupcake. I pulled out my Food and Wine magazine and went to work. I used the basic yellow cupcake and then made strawberry icing.
"Golden" Cupcake:
Active time: 20 min. ; Total: 45 min.
Makes 12 cupcakes
1 c. plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour ( i used white whole wheat flour)
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. granulated sugar (i used raw sugar)
2 large eggs, at room temp
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. vege oil
1/2 c. milk, at room temp
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners (i used silicon- works great)
2. In a med. bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
3. In a lg bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract at med-high speed until smooth and thickened slightly, about 3 mins. Add the butter and oil and beat until incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of bowl. Add the dry ingredients in batches, beating well b/w additions. Carefully pour the batter into the lined muffin tins, filing them about 2/3 full.
4. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 20-23 mins, until springy and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool slightly in the muffin tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost and top the cupcakes.
MAKE AHEAD: The unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temp. for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
White Buttercream Frosting w/ Strawberry Variation:
Total: 15 minutes
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tbsp. heavy cream or milk
strawberry jam***
In a med. bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat the mixture at a low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or heavy cream and beat unti llight and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Mix in strawberry jam with the frosting to make your "strawberry shortcake" icing.
*** I didnt have any strawberry jam, so i decided to make a strawberry syrup of sorts. I chopped 4 organic strawberries and added about 1 tbsp. of raw sugar in a small saucepan on med-high heat. I crushed the strawberries as they softened, about 5 mins, with a pestle and stirred occasionally. I put this "jam/syrup" into my frosting and it was magnificent! Maybe it was the fresh strawberries or the fact that the frosting was warm... it was like warm strawberry cake. I am sure that if you used the jam, the frosting would be much more fluffy and less runny. Your choice! Enjoy.
"Golden" Cupcake:
Active time: 20 min. ; Total: 45 min.
Makes 12 cupcakes
1 c. plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour ( i used white whole wheat flour)
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. granulated sugar (i used raw sugar)
2 large eggs, at room temp
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. vege oil
1/2 c. milk, at room temp
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners (i used silicon- works great)
2. In a med. bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
3. In a lg bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract at med-high speed until smooth and thickened slightly, about 3 mins. Add the butter and oil and beat until incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of bowl. Add the dry ingredients in batches, beating well b/w additions. Carefully pour the batter into the lined muffin tins, filing them about 2/3 full.
4. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 20-23 mins, until springy and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool slightly in the muffin tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost and top the cupcakes.
MAKE AHEAD: The unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temp. for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
White Buttercream Frosting w/ Strawberry Variation:
Total: 15 minutes
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tbsp. heavy cream or milk
strawberry jam***
In a med. bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat the mixture at a low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or heavy cream and beat unti llight and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Mix in strawberry jam with the frosting to make your "strawberry shortcake" icing.
*** I didnt have any strawberry jam, so i decided to make a strawberry syrup of sorts. I chopped 4 organic strawberries and added about 1 tbsp. of raw sugar in a small saucepan on med-high heat. I crushed the strawberries as they softened, about 5 mins, with a pestle and stirred occasionally. I put this "jam/syrup" into my frosting and it was magnificent! Maybe it was the fresh strawberries or the fact that the frosting was warm... it was like warm strawberry cake. I am sure that if you used the jam, the frosting would be much more fluffy and less runny. Your choice! Enjoy.
1 comment:
Hello readers,
Here are two recipies for Popovers (aka "Yorkshire Pudding"), per Courtney's request. These are a favourite in our house at Thanksgiving.
From the "Fannie Farmer Baking" cookbook -
**Start these in a COLD oven.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
Butter muffin pans or popover tins.
Mix the eggs, milk, butter, flour, and salt just until thoroughly blended, without overbeating - a 1-quart glass measure with a spout is a good for mixing, because you can pour the batter right into the pans. Half fill the prepared pans, and set them in a cold oven. Turn the heat to 450 degrees F and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake about 15 mins longer, until they are puffed and golden brown on top. Remove from the pans and serve piping hot.
Variation: whole wheat popovers - use 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour instead of 1 cup all-purpose flour. These will not rise as high as regular popovers.
From "The Joy of Cooking" cookbook -
We prefere a preheated 450 degree oven. Popovers like soufles, need bottom heat only, so be sure if your oven is the type that supplies top heat when set on Bake, to remove the upper heating element. Have ready buttered deep muffin or popover tins. If you use highly glazed deep custard cups, grease them lightly and - depending on what you are serving with the popovers - dust the cups with sugar, flour, or grated Parmesan cheese. This will give the egg something to cling to. Have all ingredients at about 75 degrees.
Beat until just smooth:
1 cup milk
1 tbsp melted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
Add, one at a time, but do not overbeat:
2 eggs
The batter should be no heavier than whipping cream. Full the buttered deep bakers 3/4 full. Don't overload - too much batter in the pans will give a muffinlike texture.
Bake at once. After 15 mins, lower the heat without peeping, to 350 and bake for about 20 mins longer. To test for doneness, remove a popover to be sure the side walls are firm. If not cooked long enough, the popovers will collapse. You may want to insert a sharp paring knife gently into the other popovers to allow the steam to escape, after baking.
Variation: whole wheat -
Prepare:
popovers, above
Substitute for the flour:
2/3 cup fine whole-grain flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
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