62 www.bcliquorstores.com CUPCAKE COOL
no longer relegated to fundraising bake sales, birthday parties or backyard picnics, these magnificent little handheld cakes are back in favour and popping up at specialty bakeries, gourmet food shops and even the most elegant weddings. Cupcakes are decidedly cool! Here are three recipes to try this summer with an aim to please everyone in your crowd. Chocolate, fruit and the ever-healthy carrot all make an appearance. Go ahead and eat the icing first…no one’s looking! CARROT ORANGE CuPCAKEs Makes 12 1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour 1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder 1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon ½ tsp (2 ml) baking soda ¼ tsp (1 ml) salt 2 large eggs, room temperature ¾ cup (175 ml) granulated sugar ⅔ cup (150 ml) vegetable oil finely grated zest from ½ an orange 1 cup (250 g) carrots, peeled and coarsely grated toasted coconut, for garnish Preheat oven to 350 f (180 C). spray the surface of muffin tin with cooking spray and line with paper liners. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda and salt in a bowl. stir to blend. using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl at medium speed until smooth and thick. scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in oil and zest until blended. Mix in flour mixture until no dry bits remain. stir in grated carrots. spoon into lined muffin cups, dividing mixture evenly. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until cakes are golden and spring back when lightly touched. Remove pan to a rack to cool. If not serving right away, cakes can be stored in a tightly covered container and refrigerated or frozen before icing. Cream Cheese Frosting ½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature 6 oz (180g) plain cream cheese, room temperature 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla 3 cups (750 ml) icing sugar, sifted Beat butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in cream cheese, vanilla and icing sugar until light and evenly blended. when ready to frost, bring cakes to room temperature. To ice, use a thin metal spatula or piping bag. Garnish with toasted coconut. store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. MARBLE MOuNTAIN CuPCAKEs Makes 18 2⅓ cups (575 ml) all-purpose flour, sifted 2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder ½ tsp (2 ml) salt ⅔ cup (150 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature 1¼ cups (300 ml) granulated sugar 3 eggs, room temperature 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla 1¼ cups (300 ml) milk 3 oz (90 g) semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled Preheat oven to 350 f (180 C). spray the surface of muffin tins with cooking spray and line with paper liners. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. stir to blend. use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue to beat and add eggs one at a time and then add vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat at low speed, adding flour mixture alternatively with milk making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of milk. Pour half the batter into another bowl and stir in melted chocolate until thoroughly blended. drop alternate spoonfuls of the 2 batters into the bottom of each muffin cup until ¾ full. Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the centre of one cupcake comes out almost clean. Remove pans to a rack and cool completely. marble Butter icing ¼ cup (50 ml) unsalted butter, softened ½ tsp (2 ml) vanilla pinch of salt 2½ cups (625 ml) icing sugar, sifted 2 tbsp (30 ml) warm cream or milk 1 oz (30g) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled Beat butter, vanilla and salt with electric mixer in a deep bowl. Gradually beat in icing sugar alternately with cream, one cup at a time. Remove half the icing to a separate bowl and stir in melted and cooled chocolate until blended. Refrigerate to firm if necessary. To frost cupcakes, spoon vanilla butter icing and chocolate butter icing alternately into a pastry bag. Pipe icing onto each cupcake creating a marble effect. store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. PEACH YOGuRT CuPCAKEs wITH BuTTERCREAM fROsTING Makes 12 2½ cups (625 ml) all purpose flour, sifted 1½ tsp (7 ml) baking powder ½ tsp (2 ml) salt 1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar ½ cup (125 ml) plain yogurt ½ cup (125 ml) vegetable oil 2 eggs, room temperature 1½ tsp (7 ml) vanilla 1 cup (250 ml) peaches or mangoes, peeled and chopped Preheat oven to 350 f (180 C). spray the surface of muffin tin with cooking spray and line with paper liners. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. stir to blend. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla and whisk to blend. stir in flour mixture just until incorporated. fold in diced fruit. use a spoon to divide mixture evenly into lined muffin cups. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until cakes are golden and spring back when lightly touched. Remove pan to a rack to cool. If not serving right away, cakes can be stored in a tightly covered container and refrigerated or frozen at this point. To frost, bring cakes to room temperature. Buttercream Frosting ¾ cup (175 ml) unsalted butter, softened 4½ cups (1.125 L) icing sugar, sifted ¼ cup (50 ml) whipping cream 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla Beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar and cream, alternately, until light and evenly blended. Beat in vanilla. divide icing into 2 or 3 bowls and stir in a drop of green food colouring in one bowl; a drop of yellow in another and a scant drop of red in another. stir each until pastel coloured to your liking. Pipe onto vanilla cakes and serve. Cupcakes can be refrigerated in a tightly covered container for 3 or 4 days. TASTE 63