
Photo by Benson Kua
Red velvet cupcakes
Here are some recipes to try at home for National Cupcake Day.
Vanilla cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
White Frosting:
- 4 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy for about 4 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low; beat in half of the flour mixture, then all of the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until just combined.
- Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely.
- Whisk the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the mixture is warm and the sugar dissolves. Remove the bowl from the pan; let cool slightly.
- Beat the egg white mixture in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, then continue beating until smooth.
- Top the cupcakes with the frosting.
(Recipe courtesy: foodnetwork.com)
Red velvet cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
- 1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 extra-large eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute, until light.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mix until combined. Stir with a rubber spatula to be sure the batter is mixed.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin cups with a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop or large spoon.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pans
- Place the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer, and mix on medium speed just until combined. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Top the cupcakes with the frosting.
(Recipe courtesy: foodnetwork.com)
English fairy cakes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup milk
For the icing:
- 2 strawberries, hulled
- 6 1/2 mascarpone cheese
- 4 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted
Recipe:
- Heat the oven to 180 degrees F. Line a 12-cup cupcake tin with paper cups. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the softened butter, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs, and beat with an electric beater on a low speed for 2 minutes, or until combined. Stir in the milk.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the cupcake cups and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted in the center of a cupcake should come out clean. Remove the cakes from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
- While they are cooling, make the icing. Mash the strawberries in a bowl with a fork, add the mascarpone and sifted icing sugar to the bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Chill the mixture for about 30 minutes.
- To serve, slice off the top of each cake, then cut each top in half (to make the 'wings'). Spoon a tablespoon of strawberry icing onto the top of each cake and press in the wings. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
(Recipe courtesy: houseandgarden.com)
Peanut butter ‘pupcakes’
Even your pup can get in on the fun for Cupcake Day!
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium banana mashed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
For the frosting:
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 medium banana mashed
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Recipe:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. You can also use liners, if you want.
- Stir peanut butter, oil, banana and honey. Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder until combined. Evenly distribute between the cups of your muffin pan. Bake 10-20 minutes, until browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- Banana frosting: stir mashed banana and peanut butter together. Frost. Serve immediately (the frosting will brown as the cupcakes sit).
- PB Cream Cheese frosting: stir peanut butter and cream cheese. Frost. Store in refrigerator.
- Serve to your good boy/girl.
(Recipe courtesy: crazyforcrust.com)