Cupcakes

This weekend I was able to make two different types of cupcakes. I don't have a camera still so there won't be any pictures. Sorry! The first kind I made were mexican chocolate pudding filled cupcakes. They were pretty good but some of them burnt on the bottom. My oven heats up more that I set it for and I forgot to check the temperature before putting them in. Anyways here is the recipe for the cupcakes.

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup egg yolks
• 1 cup milk, warmed
• 2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Mexican Chocolate Pudding
• Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• Gold petal dust (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack set in center. Line 18 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and mix until well incorporated.
3. Mix together milk and vanilla in a small bowl. With the mixer running, add milk mixture in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add egg yolks and mix until well combined.
4. Fill prepared muffin cups 1/2 full with batter. Transfer to oven and bake until cakes spring back when lightly touched, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool slightly in their tins before transferring to a refrigerator. Refrigerate cupcakes until chilled.
5. Using a 1-inch round biscuit cutter, cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake, pushing cutter down about 2/3 of the way and using a twisting motion to release cake; reserve scraps. Fill hole with pudding and cover with scraps to enclose.
6. Place buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (such as Ateco #822). Pipe frosting in a zigzag pattern across the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with gold petal dust, if desired. Serve.

Here is the recipe for the mexican chocolate pudding.

Makes enough for 15 cupcakes

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup milk
• 3 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Place cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, salt, heavy cream, egg yolks, milk, and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl; discard solids. Immediately stir in butter and vanilla until well combined. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer pudding to a refrigerator until chilled, about 4 hours

And here is the recipe for the buttercream frosting.

Ingredients

Makes enough for 15 cupcakes

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup egg whites (about 6 large)
• 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 16 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Directions

1. Place sugar and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer set over (but not touching) a pan of simmering water. Whisk consta ntly until mixture is heated and sugar is dissolved. Attach bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and continue whisking until cooled and stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.
2. With the mixer running, add butter, one piece at a time, until completely incorporated. Continue whisking until a light, fluffy cream has formed. Stir in chocolate until well combined

This is what they should look like when finished:)

Yesterday I then made coconut cupcakes to bring to work and can I just tell you that these rocked!!! I love them. SO SO SO good. (enough bragging yet?!?) I remembered to check the oven temperature before putting them in and my oven is heating about 50 degrees higher than it should. Here is the recipe for the cupcakes and frosting.

Ingredients

reduced coconut milk

• 2 13- to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk (preferably organic)

cupcakes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature

frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature
• Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)

Preparation

reduced coconut milk

• Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconu t milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to medium-low; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

cupcakes

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups.
• Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.

frosting

• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.
• Using pastry bag fitted with large star tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. (Alternatively, top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting. Using small offset spatul a, swirl frosting over top of cupcakes, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.) Sprinkle with coconut.

  

  This is what these should look like when finished.