Who You Callin' Cupcake - Michelle Garcia [21]
better for you) to taste (see note)
Frosting
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (page 28)
HOW TO MAKE IT
Cupcakes Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, and hot water, and pour the mixture into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk all the ingredients together until they’re combined and there are no lumps. Add the red food coloring a little bit at a time until the batter is your desired redness. Mix with the rubber spatula so you don’t overmix it. With the ice cream scoop, fill the cups in the cupcake pan about ¾ full and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (or the middle of the cupcake bounces back when you press it gently).
Frosting Prepare the cream cheese frosting according to the recipe directions.
Put It All Together Slice the tops off the cooled cupcakes at the rim of the cupcake cup with a serrated knife. Using a piping bag with a big round tip, squeeze out a large dollop of frosting into the center of the cupcake. Place the tops of the cupcakes on top of the frosting to make cupcake sandwiches. Doing this adds a cool look but, more importantly, it keeps the cupcakes moist. You can put powdered sugar on top for decoration or just leave the cupcakes plain. I’ve found that most people like their red velvet straight and to the point, but we put a little powdered-sugar checkerboard pattern on ours.
NOTE: These cupcakes get a harder crust than some, which some people like. If you don’t, you can do one of two things: (1) cut it off, or (2) wrap the cupcakes overnight in plastic wrap so the tops will soften.
NOTE: The color of red food coloring varies from brand to brand, so the amount you add will depend on how red you want your cupcakes to be. Organic colors don’t bake as well as conventional ones (they turn brown), so the beet powder is a good alternative, although it will alter the flavor of the cupcakes a little and they won’t get as bright red as they would with conventional colors.
CORN DOG
I think my corn dog fascination comes from my love of carnies...but it could also be because I love food on sticks. Either way, this one’s great!
Cupcakes
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
2 cups coarse cornmeal or polenta
4 all-beef hotdogs (Vienna beef if you’re from
around Chicago), cooked
Frosting
1 recipe Italian Buttercream (page 24)
1 cup ketchup
HOW TO MAKE IT
Cupcakes Prepare the Vanilla Bean Cupcake batter according to the recipe directions, but omit the vanilla extract and vanilla beans. Add the cornmeal with the dry ingredients. Cut the hot dogs into coin-sized slices, and fold the pieces into the finished batter. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe directions, and allow them to cool.
Frosting Prepare the Italian Buttercream according to the recipe directions, and when it’s almost completely whisked together, slowly add the ketchup to the mixer.
Put It All Together Frost the cupcakes with the ketchup buttercream. Decorate each cupcake with a skewer stuck through the top.
PINK LEMONADE
We have one wholesale customer who really keeps us on our toes with cupcake flavors. This one was a specific request from them, and it proved to be very popular.
Cupcakes
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
½ cup fresh raspberries
Put It All Together
1 recipe Lemon Curd (page 39)
Frosting
1 recipe Vanilla American Buttercream
(page 27)
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
HOW TO MAKE IT
Cupcakes Purée the raspberries in a food processor until it has the consistency of a really loose jam. Prepare the Vanilla Bean Cupcake batter according to the recipe directions, but leave out the milk and replace it with ¼ cup raspberry purée. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe directions.
Frosting Prepare the Vanilla American Buttercream according to the recipe directions, but replace the milk with the lemon juice. Add the lemon zest to the finished buttercream.
Put It