Who You Callin' Cupcake - Michelle Garcia [16]
Cupcakes
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
4 tablespoons green tea powder (or finely
chopped green tea leaves; see note)
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 prepared recipe Candied Red Beans (see
below), divided
Candied Red Beans
1 (15-ounce) can red beans
1 recipe Simple Syrup
Frosting
1 recipe Vanilla American Buttercream
(page 27)
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon lemon zest
HOW TO MAKE IT
Candied Red Beans 1 Drain the can of red beans into a sieve and wash the beans under cold running water. 2 Bring the simple syrup to a boil in a saucepan over high heat and add in the red beans. Let the beans simmer for a few minutes and then take them off the heat. 3 About an hour later, put the pan back on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then take it off the heat again. 4 Repeat Step 3, then drain and cool the beans.
Cupcakes 1 Prepare the Vanilla Bean Cupcake batter according to the recipe directions and add the green tea powder (or chopped green tea leaves) and the lemon with the dry ingredients. 2 Stir the candied red beans into the finished batter, reserving two dozen for garnish, if you’d like. 3 Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe directions.
Frosting 1 Prepare the Vanilla American Buttercream according to the recipe directions. 2 Add the ground ginger and the lemon zest.
Put It All Together 1 Frost the cupcakes with the ginger buttercream. 2 You can top each cupcake with candied red beans, candied ginger, or even candied lemon zest.
NOTE: Whether you use green tea powder or chopped green tea leaves really comes down to personal preference. I prefer the green tea powder.
CAPRESE
We briefly owned a bakery that specialized in odd and unique flavors. This cupcake was the most popular out of all we tried. Its legacy has lived on, and it has become a popular appetizer for weddings and various other parties. The most important thing to remember is to make these cupcakes when tomatoes and basil are at the peak of their season, otherwise they’re really not as good.
Cupcakes
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
2 cups chopped cherry or grape tomatoes
¼ cup minced basil
1 cup chopped fresh mozzarella in
¼-inch cubes
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 recipe Simple Syrup
Put It All Together
12 cherry tomatoes, for garnish
Frosting
1 recipe extra-thick Vanilla American
Buttercream (page 27)
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons minced basil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
HOW TO MAKE IT
Cupcakes 1 Prepare the Vanilla Bean Cupcake batter according to the recipe directions. 2 Fold in the tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. 3 Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe directions. 4 Mix the balsamic vinegar into the simple syrup. 5 When the cupcakes are hot from the oven, lightly brush them with the syrup.
Frosting 1 Prepare the Vanilla American Buttercream according to the recipe directions and add the extra powdered sugar to make it extra thick. 2 Mix the basil and balsamic vinegar into the buttercream to bring it back to a regular frosting consistency.
Put It All Together 1 Using a piping bag with a big circle tip, place a dollop of buttercream onto each Put It All Together 1 Using a piping bag with a big circle tip, place a dollop of buttercream onto each cupcake. 2 Finish each cupcake with a beautiful plump cherry tomato on top. If you feel like getting fancy, you can add a candied basil leaf to each cupcake for garnish.
TRES LECHES WITH ROASTED PINEAPPLE
I absolutely love tres leches cake; however, as I get older, I’m finding it difficult to eat because it’s so heavy. (All that milk does not always do a body good.) This cupcake is my answer to that problem. The highlight is the roasted pineapple and the alternative milks, but I tried to stay true to tradition by using plain vanilla cake and frosting. You could try something else, but this is what seemed to work best. Make these about a day before you want to serve them—the milk needs about eight hours to properly soak into the cupcakes.
Cupcakes
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Roasted Pineapple (see note)
1 pineapple
4 tablespoons butter
1