Christmas Cupcakes and a Caper Page 8
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Eggnog Cupcakes
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (I use speculaaskruiden, which has cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup eggnog
- 2 teaspoons water
For the espresso frosting
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee
- 2-3 tablespoons eggnog
Directions
Make the Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius) and prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
Add sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
Add egg whites in two batches, mixing until well combined after each batch.
Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt) in a separate bowl.
Combine the eggnog and water in a small cup.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well combined. Add the eggnog mixture and mix until well combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Fill the cupcake liners about halfway. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.
Make the frosting
Combine butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Dissolve the powdered espresso in the hot water, then add about half of the espresso mixture to the frosting and mix until smooth.
Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Add the remaining espresso mixture and eggnog as needed and mix until you have the desired frosting consistency.
Decorate cupcakes with frosting as desired.
Chapter 5
Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
A combination to die for – hot chocolate AND cupcakes! This recipe makes 14 cupcakes.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes:
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
For the frosting:
- ½ cup dry hot chocolate mix (with NO marshmallows)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 – 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line muffin time with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Beat together the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract until combined. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to batter. The batter will be somewhat thin.
Pour batter into the prepared cupcake tin. Fill each paper liner halfway. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
Make the frosting
In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the hot cocoa mix and heavy cream. Heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until warm. Remove from heat and cool for 20 minutes or until at room temperature.
Beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in hot cocoa mixture. Once combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute. For a thicker frosting, add more confectioners’ sugar.
Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with desired tip. Pipe frosting on to cupcakes and garnish with mini marshmallows.
Chapter 6
Boozy Christmas Pudding Cupcakes
These cupcakes are a bit of cheating as I used prepared chocolate frosting and chocolate sauce. I can’t be a baking wunderkind like Anna every day.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 50 grams cocoa powder
- 175 grams plain flour
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 225 grams caster sugar
- 175 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 175 milliliters milk
- ½ cup Kahula
For the frosting
- 200 grams white chocolate
- 90 milliliters cream
- Mint leaves
- 2 cups dark or milk chocolate shavings
- Jaffas (cookies with a sponge base, orange jam middle and topped with chocolate)
- 1 batch chocolate frosting
- 1 batch chocolate sauce
- 2 tablespoons Kahula
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Line muffin time with cupcake liners.
Add all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix on low speed for about 20 seconds before adding in softened butter. Continue mixing until it reaches a crumbly, sand-like texture.
Add eggs, Kahula, and milk into a bowl and whisk together well. Add mixture to dry ingredients in a slow steady stream while mixer is on low. Make sure to scrape down the bowl each time you add an ingredient to make sure everything’s mixing well.
Scoop into cupcake pan, filling about ¾ way. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
Make the Frosting
While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, add Kahula to chocolate sauce and mix well.
Prepare the white chocolate sauce by adding white chocolate and cream to a large microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mixing each time until smooth. Set aside.
Finishing
To finish off the cupcakes frost with a piping bag that’s fitted with a large round tip. To coat the frosting in chocolate, dip the cupcake into the chocolate shavings and shape as you roll.
Pour some white chocolate sauce over the top before placing two Jaffas on top and a mint leaf.
Chapter 9
White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Don’t be a hater like Callie! While chocolate white may not be technically chocolate, it’s still yummy.
Makes 28 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the peppermint cupcakes:
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature cut into small cubes
- 5 egg whites
- 1 ¼ cup milk at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
- 12 crushed candy canes
For the White Chocolate Swirled Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- ¼
cup milk
- 4.4 ounces (125 grams) good quality white chocolate
- Red gel paste food color
For the white chocolate ganache & decoration:
- 6 ounces (170 grams) white chocolate
- 2 ounces (57 grams) heavy cream
- 28 soft peppermint candy balls
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Combine milk and peppermint extract. Set aside.
Combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix on low for 2-3 minutes.
Add butter a few cubes at a time and mix on low until mixture resembles coarse sand.
Add egg whites and beat on medium until combined.
Gradually add milk mixture and beat for 1-2 minutes until batter is smooth.
Fold in crushed candy canes.
Fill cupcake liners ¾ full.
Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
Make the White Chocolate Buttercream
Cream butter, vegetable shortening, and vanilla in bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time while mixer is running.
Once all the sugar is incorporated, add the milk and mix for 30 seconds.
Melt white chocolate in microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each turn until melted. Incorporate melted chocolate into buttercream and mix until fluffy.
Reserve ¼ cup buttercream and add a small amount of red color get to tint.
Prepare a small piping bag with the red buttercream and snip the tip off.
Prepare a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
Streak the inside of the large piping bag with six stripes of red buttercream.
Fill the rest of the bag with the White Chocolate Buttercream.
Squeeze a swirled dollop of buttercream on top of each cupcake.
Place cupcakes in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the ganache.
Make the White Chocolate Ganache and Assemble
Combine cream and white chocolate in bowl and heat on 30-second intervals, stirring after each turn, for about 1 minute.
Stir until chocolate melts, allow to cool and thicken slightly for five minutes.
Transfer to a squeeze bottle and drizzle ganache on top of buttercream.
Garnish each cupcake with a peppermint candy.
Chapter 10
Candy Cane Oreo Cupcakes
If I were a student in the class when Anna showed up with these cupcakes, I would have tackled her. This recipe is a bit cheater as well as it uses a cake mix. What can I say? I’m not perfect.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes:
- 20 Oreos
- 1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup oil or melted butter
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
For the Oreo Candy Cane Frosting:
- 4 candy canes
- Oreos (leftover from above)
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- Milk, if needed
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Twist Oreos to break apart and put the sides with the most cream, cream-side up into the cupcake liners.
Sift cake mix to remove lumps and add eggs, oil, milk and sour cream. Stir until smooth. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full over the Oreos.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Let cool.
For the frosting
Finely crush candy canes and remaining Oreos. Reserve some larger crushed candy canes and Oreos for decoration.
Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency, adding a little milk if it gets too thick. Fold in the finely crushed candy canes and Oreos.
Frost cooled cupcakes and top with extra Oreos and larger crushed candy canes.
Chapter 14
Red Velvet Cupcakes
The only cupcake to use when proposing!
Makes 16 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the red velvet cupcakes:
- 1 ⅓ cup cake flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- ⅔ cup buttermilk at room temperature
For the cream cheese frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Line muffin tins with 16 cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift to ensure they are no lumps. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 4-5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until fully combined. Mix in the oil, red food coloring, vanilla and vinegar. Stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Mix in the dry ingredients in three batches alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Make sure to mix each addition until just combined and be careful not to over mix the batter.