Cupcakes revisted

After my foray into cupcake making, I was amused to see the Rocky Mountain News running a wonderful article about how cupcakes are the in thing. Nice to see that I’m on top of the trends. The article specially mentions Cupcakes : From the Cake Mix Doctor. I haven’t had a chance to look at the book yet, so I can make a recommendation. But the article made it out to be a useful and easy-to-use book.

And while I’m discussing cupcakes, I have to recommend Hey There, Cupcake! 35 Yummy Fun Cupcake Recipes for All Occasions by Clare Crespo. She gives some great tips, has many unique projects, and fun ideas. I really love her cupcakes that look like little balls of yarn. I tried making them the last time I did mini-cupcakes. They took to some practice and patience to get right. (I think the problem was that my frosting needed to be a little stiffer.) But the results were really cute. A bowl or basket of these would make a wonderful party decoration or centerpiece.

But back to the Rocky Mountain News article – I especially liked the recipe for butterfly cupcakes. They’re a bit involved but the end product is worth it. (Wish I had a picture for you – sorry!)

Butterfly Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 24 cupcake liners (2 1/2-inch size)
• 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon each, vanilla and almond extracts
• 2 recipes Buttercream Frosting (below)
• Pastel food colorings of your choice
• 24 pieces (3 inches each) red or black licorice, split almost to the end
• Decorating icing tubes in 2 or
• 3 colors; mini M&M’s (optional)

Directions:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Prepare the cupcake batter: Place all ingredients, except frosting and decorations in a large mixing bowl.
3. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping again.
4. Scoop a heaping 1/3-cup batter into each cup, filling almost to top. (Remove any unfilled liners.) Place in oven.
5. Bake until cupcakes are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. With a long serrated knife, slice the top off each and place on rack to cool. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners. Carefully pick them out of the cups with your fingertips.
7. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
8. Meanwhile, prepare the Buttercream Frosting. Divide frosting evenly between two bowls. Tint the frosting in one bowl light green and the frosting in the other bowl either blue or yellow or pink.
9. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake bottom and spread it out smoothly with a short metal spatula, covering the area completely.
10. Cut the tops in half vertically. Spread the top (rounded) side of each half with a smooth coat of frosting.
11. Turn the halves into butterfly wings by placing them back on the cupcake, with round sides in, straight sides out, and tilted very slightly up like wings.
12. Place a dab of green frosting under each wing so that it stays in place.
13. For the antennae, separate the halves of the licorice piece and secure it in the dab of frosting under the wings.
14. Use the decorating icing tubes to pipe a butterfly outline on the frosted wings. Place dots of a contrasting icing color within the outline or use mini M&M’s.

Nutritional information per serving, not including buttercream frosting: 237 cal., 12 g fat (2 g sat.), 36 mg chol., 31 g carb., 209 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 2 g pro.

Posted on June 5, 2005 in Baking

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