Cupcake Adventures - Part I

2011-03-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

teacup centrepiece

Last year I volunteered to decorate Arts Space for the Lumsden and District Arts Council’s AGM. As an antique shop/bed & breakfast owner (and avid collector) I have a number of vintage linens and loads of teacups. The challenge, for me, is to find creative and unique ways to share the things that I love with others. By stacking a couple of teacups, adding pearls and completing the look with tea lights in glass holders on the side - the effect was very fitting for Spring!

This year when I was asked to decorate for the AGM I thought that since cupcakes were all the rage, I would decorate with an edible theme. Last Fall, I wrote and self-published a cookbook entitled Sweet or Savoury: featuring favourite recipes from eclectic bed & breakfast and other culinary adventures in Lumsden, however, I have never been one to putz around with fiddly stuff like decorating cakes or cupcakes. In thirty years my kitchen has never looked like it did in the weeks following the Arts Council's request as I tried recipe after recipe in search of the right combination of moist, flavourful cake topped with a not-too-sweet frosting. The final line-up was as follows - a strawberry cupcake from real strawberries with cream cheese strawberry frosting and an edible rose (fruit rollup); a key lime cupcake with a vanilla-lime frosting; a honey lavender cupcake with a butter cream frosting and Spring sprinkle garnish; and a cherry-vanilla cupcake with butter cream frosting and a maraschino cherry garnish.

I came across the recipe for the honey lavender cupcake in the Better Homes and Gardens special interest publication entitled Cupcakes. This one took a couple of attempts to get just right as lavender is a strong taste. In the recipe that follows I increased the honey, decreased the lavender and added 1 cup of white chocolate chips:

1/2 cup butter (let stand for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before using)
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 shy teaspoons lavender (do not make these rounded teaspoons as it will be too much)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup milk
1 cup white chocolate chips

i) preheat oven to 350 degrees
ii) cut 12 6-inch circles from baking parchment and gently press into muffin tin cups. Note: they won't stay in place, however, they will form to the "cup" for use later
iii) combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside
iv) in a mixing bowl beat butter until smooth. Add sugar, honey and vanilla. Beat. Add eggs and beat until combined
v) alternate additions of dry ingredients and milk. Fold in white chocolate chips
vi) spoon into parchment lined muffin tins
vii) bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean
viii) let cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack. Allow to completely cool before icing

Frosting of Choice

1/3 cup softened butter
1/3 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups icing sugar
4 tablespoons milk

i) in a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening
ii) add vanilla and first 2 cups of icing sugar. Beat until smooth and then add milk and beat again
iii) add remaining icing sugar and beat again. You may have to add either more milk or more icing sugar to reach the proper spreading consistency. Make these additions in small increments

I will post the remaining recipes from the line-up in the weeks to come. In the meantime, happy cooking!