Simple, classic, delicious cupcakes with vanilla and a tender cream on the top.
What can be better to accompany a cup of aromatic coffee?
What we want to get is a moist, tender, light sponge, moderately sweet and with a touch of vanilla.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients for the vanilla cupcake batter:
- 100 g creme fraiche
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 50 g golden syrup
- 100 g whole eggs (two large eggs)
- 100 g white sugar
- 135 g sifted cake flour
- 1,5 tsp baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 vanilla bean (can be substituted by vanilla paste)
Directions for the batter:
- Scale all the ingredients carefully.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (356°F).
- Combine the eggs, sugar, and salt in a mixer bowl and with a wire whip attachment beat the eggs at high speed until they become very light and form a thick foam. The mixture has to double its original volume.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium and keep mixing for several minutes more, it will help to achieve more uniform cell structure of the sponge. Keep in mind, that total mixing time should be around 10 minutes for this amount, we don’t want to underbeat the egg mixture as it is an important base of our sponge.
- Mix together creme fraiche (it has to be at a room temperature), golden syrup and vanilla.
- At a medium speed whip a creme fraiche mixture in the egg foam, in a steady stream.
- Combine the sifted cake flour, salt and baking powder.
- Fold in the sifted flour in 3-4 stages, stirring carefully not to deflate the foam. It is better to do this by hand, fold gently until all the flour is blended in.
- Carefully fold in the melted butter after the flour has been added. Fold the butter completely, but be careful not to overmix, or the sponge will be tough.
- Using a spoon or a pastry bag, pour the batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling them for 2/3 of their volume.
- Bake at 180 °C (356°F) for 25- 30 minutes, dependent on your oven, test the cupcakes with a toothpick if you are not sure. Insert a toothpick in the middle of a cupcake, it should be clean when pulled out.
- Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.
Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 70 g sugar powder
- 100 g heavy cream (min 35%), cold
- 200 g mascarpone cheese
Directions for the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Chill the cream and all equipment thoroughly, especially in hot weather. If the cream is too warm, it is hard to whip it and it curdles easily.
- Whip the cream with sifted sugar powder (confectioner’s sugar). Use the whip attachment of your mixer and run the machine at medium speed.
Do not overwhip. Stop beating when the cream forms peaks that hold their shape. If the cream is whipped longer, it first becomes grainy and then curdles (separates into butter and whey).
- Here we need to slightly under beat the cream, because we are going to mix it with mascarpone cheese later, and the action of mixing whips it more and may overbeat it.
- Slightly whip the mascarpone cheese in a separate bowl, it should have a creamy and smooth texture.
- Combine the whipped cream and mascarpone cheese, mix the cream at a low speed until well blended, do not overwhip.
- Put the cream in a pastry bag with a star tip, if you are not going to use it immediately, store it in a refrigerator.
Assembling Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Using a pastry bag with a star tube, pipe the cream cheese over the top of the cupcakes.
Additionally, you can place some berries on the top or sprinkle the cupcakes with chopped nuts or chocolate.
More Pastry Techniques and Recipes:
