Love Cupcake

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Have you ever had a tres leches cake or in Spanish pastel de tres leches? Doesn't it sound nicer in Spanish? Well, it's absolutely delicious. Soooo good!! I have been wanting to make this cupcake recipe for so long and with it being Easter this past weekend I thought I would try it out. And it did not disappoint. They were so light and not that sweet. Make them, you'll love it.

Tres Leches Cupcakes

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book)

6 large eggs, seperated and at room temperature

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp coarse salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup all purpose flour

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)

3/4 cup heavy cream

 

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a standard muffin tins with paper liners. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together egg whites, baking soda and salt until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low. Add yolks and sugar and whisk until completely combined. Fold in melted butter with a flexible spatula. Add flour in flour batches, folding until just combined after each.

2. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, fillinf about half way. Bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and immiedately poke holes in tops of cupcakes with a toothpick or skewer.

3. Whisk together evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. With the cupcakes still in the tins brush the milk mixture over the cupcakes. Continue until the milk mixture is done. Let the cupcakes absorb the mixture for about 30 minutes.

4. Top the cupcakes with a dollop of whipping cream and dust with ground cinnamon.

To make them a little fancy for our Easter dinner I was finally able to use these fancy cupcake liners that I have been saving. Don't they make the cupcakes look so much more prettier? Enjoy!!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I think these cupcakes are one of my fave. They are so delicious, and I just LOVE the color. Especially as your mixing it in th mixer, the color comes out almost pink. I made these for Valentine's Day to give away to family and friends and I know they were devoured.

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 1/2 cups cake flour(not self rising), sifted

2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together cake four, cocoa, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorportaed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.

3. Reducing speed to low, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions buttermilk and whisking well after each. In a small bowl stir together the baking soda and vinegar, it will foam and add mixture to the batter. Mix on medium speed for 10 seconds.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, and bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.

(the lovely re/pink batter)

 Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add sugar about half a cup at a time. Add vanilla and mix until smooth and combined.

 

I used a Wilton tip 1M and just piped the cream cheese frosting onto the cupcake. The combination of the Red Velvet cupcake and cream cheese go very well together. Delicious. Enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my hubby's birthday back in November and I just never got to posting. I asked him what kind of cupcakes he wanted? After much debate he said anything lemon. And I have been wanting to try and make these lemon meringue cupcakes for awhile too, so it pleased both of us. Awesome. 

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Book)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

finely grated zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tbsps)

2 tbsps fresh lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

Lemon Curd recipe

Marshmallow Frosting recipe

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg is well incorporated. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three batches, altenating with two additions of buttermilk and lemon juice. Beat until just combined after each.

3. Divide batter evenly in lined cups. Bake until golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean. About 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Curd

2 whole eggs plus 8 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

2 tbsps unslated butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature

 

1. Combine the whole eggs and yolks, sugar, and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

2. Cook, whisking continuously until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition.

3. Strain through a fine sieve into another bowl and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, pressing it directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm. At least two hours or up to 2 days.

 Marshmallow Frosting

To assemble the cupcakes:

Once cupcakes have cooled, with a spoon, spoon some lemon curd on top of the cupcake. The more the better, in my opinion. You'll have more of a lemon flavour. Pipe the marshmallow frosting (I used a 1M Wiloton tip) on top of the lemon curd. Brown the frosting with a kitchen torch. And enjoy!

I have to admit I was a little intimated about making lemon curd. It just sounds scary and hard to make and it actually was not difficult at all. You end up with so much lemon curd after spooning on top of the cupcakes that you could probably make a lemon meringue pie as well. I will have to try that one day too.

Here's a photo of the birthday boy!!

S'mores Cupcakes

Who doesn't loves S'mores? I don't know too many people that don't. I do for sure. I remember making them over the campfire or I know we also made them in the microwave, melting everything together. So good.

I made these cupcakes for my sister Vanessa's birthday last week. She chose them. She wanted to challenge me she said. I think the best part was I got to play with a kitchen torch, kind of fun.

S'mores Cupcakes

(from Martha Stewarts Cupcakes Book)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups graham flour*

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache Glaze (recipe to follow)

Marshmallow Frosting (recipe to follow)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, brown sugar, and honey until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium; beat eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for about 25 minutes and allow cupcakes to cool.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand without stirring, until chocolate begins to melt.

2. Using a flexible spatula, gently stir chocolate and cream until totally combined. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Marshmallow Frosting

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about  1 tablespoon)

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup cold water

1 cup sugar

1. In a mixing bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Allow gelatin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Heat remaining 1/4 cup water and the sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; clip a candy thermometer onto side of pan. Boil syrup until temperature reaches about 238F. Brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Remove from heat; add syrup to softened gelatin. Whisk mixture by hand to cool, about 1 minute. Then use an electric mixer to whisk on medium-high speed until soft glossy peaks form, 8 to 10 minutes. Use immediately, the frosting will harden.

To assemble the cupcakes:

Spoon about a tablespoon of the chocolate ganache glaze onto all the cupcakes. Fill a pastry bag with the marshmallow frosting and pipe them onto the cupcakes. With a kitchen torch, torch the frosting lightly. Enjoy!!

Here's a photo of the birthday girl (She's so happy with her cupcakes) :)

These were super easy to make. The only thing that I was a little worries about was making the marshmallow frosting as I had never done it before. It was actually really easy to make, and it was cool how it turned out. I was impressed with myself that I made marshmallow. I didn't have a candy thermometer on hand so, I used my coffee thermometer. It didn't go all the way up to the temperature I needed I just kind of assumed and let it go as high as it could.

*I couldn't find graham flour so, after a little research online I found that I could use whole wheat flour instead. So, I did and the cupcakes smelled amazing in the oven, like graham crackers.

Tiramisu Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

I love Tiramisu , it's delicious and heavenly. And in a cupcake, oh my gosh!! I made these for my sister's birthday, it was her request and I of course obliged. It was a pretty easy recipe to make, and it's so light in taste too. Delicious!!

Tiramisu Cupcakes

(from Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book)

1 1/4 cuos cake flour (not self-rising)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 cup milk

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise seeds scraped and reserved

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature

1 cup sugar

Coffee-Marsala Syrup (below)

Mascarpone Frosting (below)

Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and vanilla bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted, and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and throw away vanilla-bean pod.

2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick.

3. Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes. And allow to cool completely.

5. To finish brush tops of cupcakes evenly with coffee-marsala syrup, until all the syrup has been used. Let cupcakes to absorb liquid for 30 minutes. Dollop frosting onto cupcakes and dust with cocoa powder.

Coffee-Marsala Syrup

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed very strong coffee (or espresso)

1 ounce marsala

1/4 cup sugar

Stir together coffee, marsala, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

Mascarpone Frosting

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioner's sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately.

Check out Martha's Website for more info she's got these cupcakes on her website as well. Enjoy!