Cupcakes Week 49

Guava Cupcakes
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup guava nectar
2 cups guava pastry filling
1 recipe guava buttercream (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with paper liners.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until just combined.

Alternately add the flour mixture with the guava nectar, beginning and ending with the flour. Fill was muffin cups with the batter, ¾ full (I use a 2 ounce scoop). Bake about 20 minutes (rotating pan after about 10 minutes) until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out (almost) clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling. Makes 24-30 cupcakes

To fill the cupcakes, hold the cupcake in one hand. Use a paring knife, a large round up or a cupcake plunger, cut a small hole in the center of cooled cupcakes. Use the guava filling to fill the cupcake. Top with buttercream.

Guava Buttercream

1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 lb. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. guava nectar
1/8 tsp. of salt
¼ cup guava pastry filling
In a medium bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat the mixture at low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add guava nectar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon in guava filling and mix until combined. If the butter begins to break, keep beating. Top the cupcakes as desired.