Nothing says I care than a homemade swirled cupcake
Valentine’s Day is less than a month away; Sydney and I created a delightful white almond cupcake perfect for saying I “love” you. For the past 24 years I’ve prepared a special dinner and dessert for DF. Last year, he surprised me while dining with Sydney for lunch at my favorite restaurant. He even brought with him a dozen white roses, my favorite color. This year I am prepared to surprise him, when he shows up to surprise me, with white almond cupcakes swirled with almond buttercream. I’ll let you know I actually pull off surprising him.
I just adore these mini cupcakes
While designing these cupcakes Sydney thought the mini cupcakes would be prefect for school parties. The mini cupcakes are easy to transport and simple to bake up; for extra fun the children could decorate their own cupcake.
White Almond Cupcakes with Almond Butter Cream:
275 grams/ 9 ½ egg whites
1-teaspoon vanilla
180 grams/ ¾-cup milk
375 grams/ 3 5/8-cup cake flour
20 grams/ 1½-Tablespoon baking powder
400 grams/ 2-cups sugar
1-teaspoon salt
180 grams/ ¾-cup milk
180 grams/ 1½ sticks or 6 ounces butter, cut into 1-Tablespoon, cubed
Prepare your mise en place.
Mise en place
Spray 2 8×2 regular cupcake pans and 1-mini cupcake pan with baking spray; set aside. Preheat the oven to 180 degree s C/ 350 degrees F.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl of a standing mixer.
Sydney is quite the sifter
Add the sugar to the flour and baking powder.
We used super fine sugar; preferable when using an egg white only cake
Attatch the bowl of a standing mixer, with the paddle attachment and add the flour mixture, mix on low speed just to blend.
The best technique for knowing if the mixture is combined is to feel it.
Add the butter to the four mixture on low speed.
Add the butter about 2 Tablespoons consecutively until all the butter has been added
Add the 182 grams/3/4 –cup of milk to the mixture.
Keeping the mixer on low and add the milk in a steady stream
Continue to mix on low speed till the dry ingredients are moistened, raise the speed to medium and beat for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the second 182 gram/3/4 –cup of milk along with the extracts to the egg whites, whisk to almalamate.
Reduce the the speed to low when adding each egg white addition
Raise the speed to medium after each addition of the egg white/ milk mixture and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides as needed. Fold the batter about three time after removing the bowl from the mixer.
Italian Buttercream Bobbie Style
Ingredients
180 grams/ 5 egg whites (large)
Pinch of salt
198 grams/ 1-cup fine brown sugar
10 grams/ 1-tablespoon superfine sugar
59 grams/ ¼-cup cold water
15 gram Amaretto
341- 242grams/ 1 1/2 -cups to 2 2cups unsalted butter
Equipment:
Scale
Standing mixer
1-quart heavy-bottom saucepan
Candy thermometer
Weigh all ingredients or measure and set aside.
Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and set aside in a medium bowl.
In a heavy bottom saucepan over medium-high heat add water and pour sugar into the middle of the water swirl until the brown sugar has dissolved. Bring the sugar syrup to a boil and continue to heat till the syrup reaches 160ºC/240ºF
After 1 to 2 minutes reduce the mixer speed to medium for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the meringue is cooled. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the mixer speed to high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is fully incorporated. Add the amaretto and beat for 1 more additional minute.Using a Wilton 1M piping tip, held at a 90 degree angle, begin at the outer edge of the cupcake working in a circular motion towards the center, release pressure and lift up the the tip. Swirl the middle to the center once more.
Mini cupcakes are impossible to resist
Voila!
Very elegant indeed. Should win any heart…
These are a lovely alternative from all the chocolate you see at Valentines. I do love the flavor of almond, especially in cake or cupcakes! Also, I do need more practice on the swirling of icing on cupcakes, so this has been helpful and I look forward to the tutorial. Enjoy the day!
These look so good! I am going to have to add to my must attempt list along with these other Valentine cupcakes > http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/melissa/valentines-day-cupcakes-to-tempt-your-sweet