Tuesday 23 October 2012

Halloween cupcakes and a great new cupcake recipe

New: Halloween cupcakes and a great new cupcake recipe





 It’s almost time for Halloween and of course another opportunity to search for the perfect cupcake recipe. In comparison to the previous recipe I tested out, this recipe uses only egg whites. 


This perfect cupcake recipe checks off on every factor on my perfect cupcake checklist. It has a fluffy, springy texture, a wonderful, non-eggy, non-floury taste and yes, it uses one more egg than I really want it to use, but it’s just the egg whites so it’s not so bad. It’s a bit sweeter than I would like it to be, but that can be remedied by decreasing the sugar a bit.

This recipe is also great for baking cakes, which is what the original recipe intended it to be for. However, you can’t argue with these fantastic cupcake results. I got this recipe from Bakerita and included a few of my own little changes.


The perfect white cupcakes


Ingredients

5 large egg whites
3/4 cup 2 per cent milk
2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups of sifted cake flour (Don’t have cake flour? Try this substitute)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp and 1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)

Directions

Line your muffin tins with liners or grease, flour and line your cake pans with parchment paper (8-inch pans work well). Cube the butter.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in the butter and 1/2 cup of milk. Mix on low until just combined, then increase the speed gradually to medium speed for about 90 seconds.

Stir together the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk and vanilla. Set aside.

Slowly begin to add the egg-milk mixture in three separate additions. Beat for about 20 seconds after each addition.

Remember to scrape down the sides and don’t over beat!

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes depending on your oven. Cakes should spring back if you gently press it.

I also tested out her Vanilla Frosting and it turned out quite nice.

Vanilla Frosting

1 1/2 cups and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
3 cups of sifted icing sugar
2 tbsps of 2 per cent milk
2 tsps vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 5 minutes on high speed). Slowly add the sifted sugar and salt.

Then add the milk and vanilla, and finally, add in the salt.

Beat on high for another 5 minutes.

Icing

I made orange and purple frosting for a Halloween theme. To make the spider web effect, I used a regular round tip and piped a simple spiral around the cake ending on the outside.

Then, take a toothpick and make lines to the centre (take a look at the picture it’ll give you a better idea). You can also add little Halloween decorations like gummy spiders or pumpkins.

This frosting and cake combination also works very well as a cake. I tested it out by baking a mini two layered cake. Once with a light whipped cream and strawberries and once creating roses all over the cake. 


2 comments:

  1. These cupcakes look fabulous! I love the colour of the icings.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! Took quite a bit of mixing and food colouring to get it right.

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