Baking Recipe: {Think Pink} Cupid Cupcake

Recipe

I know I'm a little late.. but the saying goes "better late than never" right? October is Breast Awareness month. So in conjunction to that, I thought of making something in pink. What did I come up with this time? My cupcake is called Cupid Cupcake. Don't ask me why, but I thought it's cute and suits the whole pink theme I suppose. Lol..

Before I proceed on, I would like to take a minute here to stress the utmost importance to all ladies of all ages out there to make sure to get yourself checked or at least please do a Self Breast Examination (SBE)check. Early detection could do wonders and safe our lives. Also to those who have lost their love ones who lost their battle to breast cancer, do stay strong and send on the healthy message reminding one another on how important we are; whether a mother, wife, daughter, girl friend or friend.

Now, back to cupcake business..

Well, I was browsing the other day and came across a basic recipe for Pink Velvet cake. I've always LOVE Red Velvet cake, but instead of using cocoa, buttermilk and red food colouring like what is called for in a red velvet batter, I have swapped them with white chocolate, fresh raspberry and pink food colouring.

The recipe I came across did not call for raspberry, but as usual.. I like to tweak my recipes. Plus Red Velvet has buttermilk incorporated to the mix for the tangy taste and tartness of the cake. I thought "why not, toss in fresh raspberry?"

Then comes the frosting. Instead of the usual cream cheese frosting, I decided to frost my Cupid Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting aka 7 minute frosting. The marshmallow frosting is adapted from my new foodie friend Elisabeth of Food and Thrift Finds. I must say the frosting is just nice as it's not overly sweet and I like it a lot as it's fluffy. Will definitely use this frosting again when I come up with another cupcake. Lol..

Come to think of it, last weekend I was thinking a lot. Lol..but the end result of my Cupid Cupcake aka Pink Velvet Cupcake was scrump-deliumcious. I feel that with the white choco and raspberry incorporated into the cake batter and top with light fluffy marshmallow frosting is definitely my new love.

Recipe:

Yields approx. 24-26 medium/large cupcakes

P/S: For myself this time, I used a different type of cupcake liner, and manage to get 52 average size cupcakes..I know it sounds crazy, but my family and friends will be the happy campers ;p. Perhaps I did not fill 3/4 of the cupcake liner cup and that's why I got so many..

Ingredients (Pink Velvet Cupcake)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
approx. 2 boxes fresh raspberry
8 ounces white chocolate, melted
Pink gel-paste coloring

 

Prepare the Pink Velvet Cupcakes:

1. Sift flour with baking powder and salt in a large blow. 

2. In another large bowl/ mixer, cream butter and sugar. Beat the butter till light and  fluffy and then slowly add in sugar in stages till they are both well incorporated.

3. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate at the side. Next add in eggs 1 at a time, beating for about 10 seconds after each addition. Then add in the vanilla.

4. At low speed, beat in the flour and milk in 2 additions.

5. Add in the melted white chocolate and beat at medium speed till well incorporated.

6. Lastly, fold in fresh raspberry {I half the raspberry}and pink food colouring.

7. Heat oven to 350°F {approx. 180-190 degs}. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.

8. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely, before transferring them onto wire racks.


Ingredients (Marshmallow Frosting)
adapted from  Food and Thrift Finds

1 cup of caster sugar (NOT powdered)
4 large egg whites
1/3 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare the Marshmallow frosting:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the 1/3 cup of water, the sugar, and the cream of tartar, and bring it to a boil, until you see thick clear bubbles, which should only take about 5 minutes.

Note: Be careful not to boil even 1 second longer, soon as it comes to a rapid bubble you'll get burnt sugar.

2. In a metal bowl/ mixer, add all the egg whites, and whisk the egg whites first until it turns white, and starts to get a little thick.

3. Next , add the sugar syrup only drop fulls at a time counting down the 7 minutes. After about 5 minutes of constantly beating, add in the vanilla, and beat another 2 minutes, maybe 3 more.

4. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcake. You may try to pipe as high as you can if you like your cupcake with lots of frosting.

Note: You should have enough to frost 2 nine inch round cakes and as for my case I had enough to frost all 52 cupcakes without any left over. Feel free to ad a drop of food coloring for a different effect. Be careful not to add juice instead of the fruit coloring, that will thin out the consistency.

What do you do next after all your hard day of work? I know I coudln't can't wait to taste it. So go ahead and sink you teeth into the Cupid Cupcake. The cake is rich and moist with natural raspberry flavouring and to balance all the tartness is a white fluffy marshmallow frosting. I recall my dad had 2 on the spot and wanted more.. Lol..

Hope you will enjoy them as much as my mom, dad, brother and family friends.

xx