Cupcakes Week 41

And of course to ring in the New Year we would need some blubby!

May you all have an amazing and safe evening, and here's to a great 2012!

Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream
Servings: About 20-22 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes

2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup champagne
6 egg whites

For the buttercream frosting

3 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons champagne, at room temperature
For the spun sugar
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Instructions
1. For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.
4. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with champagne.
5. In another large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
6. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites.
7. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
9. For the frosting: With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter.
10. Mix on low until well blended, and then on medium for another two minutes.
11. Add vanilla and champagne, beating on medium for another minute.
12. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
13. For the spun sugar: Secure a long-handled wooden spoon under a heavy cutting board on the edge of the counter, with the handle facing out and extending over the edge.
14. Place newspapers on the floor, directly under the cutting board. (Believe me, you will need them as this can get messy….)
15. Prepare an ice-water bath.
16. Bring sugar, corn syrup, and the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
17. Stop stirring.
18. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
19. Cook until the mixture turns pale amber and registers 300 degrees (hard-crack stage) on the candy thermometer.
20. Plunge pan into ice bath to stop the cooking; let cool, stirring occasionally, until caramel registers 250 degrees. ***Be careful. The pan is hot and will steam very strongly when you cool it so rapidly.
21. Dip the tines of a fork into the caramel.
22. Holding the fork about 2 feet above the spoon handle, swing caramel back and forth like a pendulum in long arcs, allowing strands to fall in threads over the handles. **You will most likely lose a lot to the floor below; hence, the newspapers.
23. Let stand until ready to use, then gently gather some of the strands and shaped as desired. You can break them for shorter pieces
24. Garnish the cupcakes with the spun sugar.

Cupcakes Week 30

I thought that since I was creating a few cupcakes with alcohol, that I should pay tribute to my geographical area ;)

Enjoy!

Boston Lager Cupcakes
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup all-purpose Flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup water
½ cup Samuel Adams Boston Lager
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place butter, sugar and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Add in eggs and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour in water and Boston Lager, then salt. Mix until mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. Line muffin tin with muffin liners. Pour approximately 3 - 4 oz into each cup. Bake in oven at 325 degrees for approximately 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Boston Lager Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon whipping cream
2 tbsp Samuel Adams Boston Lager

In a standing mixer with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended, then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract, Boston Lager and whipping cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed. Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Cupcakes Week 29

The first drink I ever drank was a White Russian. So here's the drink, in cupcake form of course :)

White Russian Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg and 1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/8 cup Vodka
1/4 cup Kahlua, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a seperate bowl or in a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until combined. Add egg and egg white, one at a time. Then add the vanilla, Vodka, and 1/8 cup of Kahlua. Gradually add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, ending with the flour mixture.

Bake 17 -20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcakes comes out clean. While the cupcakes are still warm, brush the tops with the remaining 1/8 cup Kahlua. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Kahlua Buttercream

1 stick of butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
3 - 4 tablespoons Kahlua

Beat butter until creamy. Add salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add Kahlua 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.