Who You Callin' Cupcake - Michelle Garcia [25]
In a separate medium bowl, mix the coconut milk and coconut cream together. Slowly alternate adding the dry ingredients with the coconut liquids to the standing mixer. Stop a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once all the ingredients have been placed in the bowl, turn the mixer on high for just a few seconds to wake up the batter a little, but not so much as to overmix it. Set the batter aside in a large mixing bowl and wash the bowl from the standing mixer well (fat breaks down egg whites—they really hate each other—so if any butter fat is left in the bowl, the next step won’t work). In the standing mixer with the whip attachment, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Egg whites really like to whip when they’re at least at room temperature, if not warmer; the colder they are they longer they’ll take to whip. If you’re in a hurry, you can always warm them in a bowl over simmering water while keeping them moving with a spatula. If you choose this method, you have to stand there and actually pay attention to them or you’ll end up with a bowl of cooked egg whites. Soft peaks should form quickly under the right conditions. If you’re scared, whipping them too little is fine, but overwhipped egg whites won’t work well. So when in doubt, slightly underwhip. You’ll get better at it, I promise. Once you have the egg whites whipped and the batter made, slowly fold the whites into the batter, a little bit at a time, with a rubber spatula. Don’t go crazy with this. If you deflate the egg whites, they won’t help give the cupcakes structure and they’ll sink in the middle. Scoop the batter into the cupcake pan with the ice cream scoop, filling the cups in the cupcake pan about ¾ full and bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Frosting Prepare the mango curd according to the recipe directions and allow it to cool. Prepare the cream cheese frosting according to the recipe directions. Fold the cooled curd into the frosting.
Put It All Together Poke holes through the cupcakes using your index finger and fill the holes with spoonfuls of the mango curd. Frost the cupcakes with the mango frosting. Top each cupcake with toasted slices of fresh coconut.
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB
Come on now, what could be more vintage and classic in baking than strawberry rhubarb? Personally I like rhubarb more than strawberries, so I go heavy on the rhubarb, but you can use less if you’d like.
Cupcakes
2 cups diced rhubarb, in ¼-inch cubes
½ cup sugar
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
2 cups strawberries, quartered
Put It All Together
12 little strawberries
Frosting
1 recipe Vanilla American Buttercream
(page 27)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup strawberry jam
HOW TO MAKE IT
Cupcakes In a sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the rhubarb in the sugar until the rhubarb is still crunchy and bright red on the outside but softer on the inside, about 5 minutes. You’re just cooking it a little—you don’t want the rhubarb to get mushy or turn brown. Take the rhubarb off the heat and strain it in a colander. Make sure you strain all the liquid out or the cupcakes won’t rise. Put the rhubarb on a cookie sheet to cool. Prepare the Vanilla Bean Cupcake batter according to the recipe directions. Fold the strawberry quarters and the cooled rhubarb into the batter. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe directions.
Frosting Prepare the Vanilla American Buttercream according to the recipe directions, but add the additional 2 cups powdered sugar to make it extra thick. Fold the strawberry jam into the buttercream.
Put It All Together Frost the cooled cupcakes with the strawberry buttercream. Top each cupcake with a strawberry.
ROASTED BANANA WITH RICOTTA
This cupcake was made on a dare, and it has become one of our most popular cupcakes to date. The roasted bananas add a lot of moisture, and the ricotta puts a twist on the traditional buttercream frosting.
Cupcakes
1 recipe