upcakes
(also called Fairy Cakes) have become so beautiful. Gone are the days when
they were only served at children's birthday parties dressed with a quick
swipe of frosting and maybe a sprinkling of colored sugar. Today's
cupcakes show up everywhere, from adult birthday parties to weddings and
their decorations range from the very simple to stunning works of art. But
all cupcakes start with just a regular cake butter that is baked in
individual cup shaped molds (Americans like to use a muffin pan) that have
been lined with fluted paper bake cups.
These paper bake cups make the
cupcakes easy to release from the pan and also make clean up a breeze.
Most of us have to have our cupcakes frosted with a sweet buttery
confectioners frosting but another great idea is give them a smooth hard
matte finish with royal icing. While
covering them with just a thin layer of frosting makes them ideal for
everyday, you can make them more decorative by bringing out the piping bag fitted with a decorative tip
(like I to use large tips, such as Wilton 4B or 1M). To dress them up
even more, garnish with fresh or candied flowers or a sprinkling of colored sugars
that also give the cupcakes a welcome crunch.
The name
"cupcake" was used differently back in the 1800s. Then the name "cup cake"
simply referred to a cake where the ingredients were 'measured' not
'weighed'. It seems that before the 1880s ingredients for cake baking were
actually weighed so when recipes started to be given in 'cup'
measurements, the cake recipes were named 'cup cakes' to reflect this
difference. Greg Patent also tells us in his book 'Baking in America' that
a woman named Mrs. Rorer (in 1902) was the first to actually print a
recipe for the cupcakes (with frosting) we all enjoy today.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C)
and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
For the Cupcakes: Cream the butter and sugar
until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
In a
separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to
the butter and egg mixture, along with the milk, and beat until combined.
Evenly fill the
muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until nicely
browned and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove
from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have
completely cooled, frost with icing. If you want flat topped cupcakes then
slice off the dome of each cupcake, with a sharp knife, before frosting.
For the Frosting:
In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream
the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the
mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and
beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add
a little more milk or sugar, if needed. Tint the
frosting with desired food color (I use the paste food coloring that is
available at cake decorating stores and party stores).
Makes about 12 cupcakes
Source:
Hay, Donna.
Modern Classics Book 2. Harper Collins Publishers Inc. New York: 2003.
Patent, Greg.
Baking in America. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York: 2002.
Vanilla Cupcakes:
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted
butter, room temperature
Lemon Zest
- The yellow outer rind of the lemon that contains the fruit's flavor
and perfume. The rind being the outer skin of the lemon which
consists of both the yellow zest and white membrane (pith).
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