Brown Crock Baker: Cupcakes and Hurricanes

Laissez les bon temps rouler !

It's that time of year! Late winter snow storms, daylight savings time approaches, March Madness is ramping up, the boys of summer are in spring training, NASCAR is back to driving in circles and the streets of New Orleans are filled with lots of happy and interesting folks. One of these years I'm going to be among them. Until then, I'll make cupcakes. Not quite the same wow factor as being at Mardis Gras but work with me people. It's the best I got this year.

I originally thought I'd make a traditional King Cake and post it here but it seems that, contrary to recent rumors, cupcakes are still quite popular. So I started pondering options for a King Cake inspired cupcake. I first made a vanilla cupcake with a cinnamon brown sugar swirl. Don't know if it was the cake recipe or the cinnamon swirl, but it just didn't do it for me. Next I decided to make traditional King Cake dough, roll it into a log but instead of forming the ring at this time I cut it into small circles the size of muffin tins and baked little individual King Cakes. These were actually quite good. The dough was tender and the cinnamon sugar filling provided just the right amount of sweetness. While I liked these a lot, they weren't really cupcakes. So, back to thinking.

I researched the history of the King Cake a little more and decided to just create a cupcake using the traditional flavors. King Cake dough is traditionally a very plain dough with little sugar or strong flavor. It's usually wrapped around a cinnamon filling and then iced with a sugar glaze and decorated with the colors of the festival; gold, purple and green. Oh, and the baby hidden somewhere in the cake.

Below is the final version of my King Cake Cupcake recipe. A basic vanilla cupcake, cinnamon pastry cream filling and cinnamon Italian butter cream icing finished with the colors of Mardi Gras using food grade luster dust. I was concerned that if someone were to eat a cupcake the way my son Sam does, all in one bite, a baby could become a health hazard. Resulting in either a dental emergency, chocking hazard or removal of said baby from the innocent victim's intestinal tract. All unpleasant options. So try substituting a pecan half for a baby.

Just a few notes before the recipe. I am by no means an expert on Italian butter cream icing. In fact, this was my first attempt. And I decided to use it here primarily because I've been wanting to experiment with making and piping it. You could also use a basic powdered sugar type butter cream to make the cinnamon icing and it would work just as well. If you are interested in the Italian butter cream method I used, here is the link http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/italian-meringue-buttercream I didn't have the extra fine sugar and used regular granulated sugar without any problems.

I would also tell you that if you want a simpler version of the cake, you could just as easily add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the cupcake batter and skip the pastry cream filling. Though if you decide to make the Italian butter cream you will have egg yolks laying around and can easily make up some pastry cream.

And now, finally, the recipe. Again, no pictures for the same reasons noted in the Fudgy Mint Brownie recipe. General crankiness and kitchen mess. I promise I'll be better after taking my week of vacation later this month.

King Cake Cupcakes (makes 12 cupcakes )

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
*If not using pastry cream filling add 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to dry ingredients
8 Tbsp Butter, Room Temperature
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 Large Egg
2 Large Egg Yolks
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper or foil liners or spray with baking spray

In medium mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt (and cinnamon if using)

Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks and vanilla extract on beat on medium speed until all flour is incorporated and no lumps in batter

Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl to make sure all flour is thoroughly combined.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.

Bake on middle rack of oven for 18-23 minutes, lightly browned and toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs or clean.

Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Then remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on rack.

While cupcakes are cooling you can prepare the pastry cream filling.

Cinnamon Pastry Cream

Ingredients

1 Cup Whole Milk
5 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
3 Large Egg Yolks
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Tbsp Corn Starch
1 Tbsp Flour (rice flour if you have it, otherwise all purpose is fine)
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

You will also need a fine mesh strainer.

Heat milk, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon stick in medium saucepan or medium low heat until almost boiling.

While milk is heating, in medium mixing bowl whisk egg yolks and 1 Tbsp granulated sugar until light yellow and thickened. Sprinkle in corn starch and flour and beat until well combined.

When milk has warmed to just before boiling, remove cinnamon stick and pour very slowly into egg mixture while continuously whisking. Once all milk mixture has been added, pour it through the fine mesh strainer back into the saucepan and whisking continuously over medium high heat, cook until thickened or reaches 160 degrees.

Remove from heat and whisk in butter.

Pour into bowl and place plastic wrap over pastry cream, pressing it on the surface to a keep it from forming a skin and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until ready to fill cupcakes. Can be kept in refrigerator for 3 days.

Traditional Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened to Room Temperature
3-4 Cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2-4 Tbsp Milk or Cream

Process

In large mixing bowl with hand mixer or in bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Turn mixer down to low and add 3 cups of powdered sugar, continue to beat until sugar is incorporated. Add cinnamon and mix. Turn mixer back up to medium and add vanilla and 2 Tbsp of milk or cream, beat for 3-4 minutes. If you are piping frosting you will want it a more stiff consistency. If you plan to spread frosting on cupcakes you may need to thin it with a little more milk or cream. Just add sugar or milk until you get the consistency you want.

If you want to tint the icing, add gel food coloring to small amounts in separate bowls to get desired colors.

To fill cupcakes, use a pastry bag and long straight tip. Place pastry cream in bag and push tip into top center of cupcake and squeeze cream into cupcake. The hole will be covered with icing later. Cupcakes with pastry cream will need to be kept in the refrigerator but you can take them out and let them warm to room temperature for serving.

After filling cupcakes, either spread or pipe frosting on cupcakes.

Decorate with sprinkles, edible glitter, luster dust or anything you like.

If these cupcakes don't get you in the Mardis Gras frame of mind then whip up a Hurricane. I guarantee that will do it!