Saturday, May 29, 2010

Bubblegum Cupcakes

I think there might be a bit of a debate over the colour that bubblegum flavour should be represented with.

I'm a firm believer that bubblegum is a blue kind of flavour. Although, how often do you see bubblegum that's blue?

And then there's the other camp, who believe that bubblegum is best represented by pink.

I kind of like that - pink is pretty, one of my favourite colours, and really it's quite logical as *most* bubblegum is pink.

Anyway, I asked my boyfriend what colour the icing for these cupcakes should be: pink or blue?

He answered blue.

So blue it is!!

Now that I think about it, I wish I had have bought some little bubblegum balls and cut a cone out of the top of the cupcake and put the bubblegum in the middle. That would have been really cool. Next time maybe.

There's also another debate in the cupcake world for me - swirly frosting, or icing that is spread on.

I like both really - there's nothing cuter than a perfectly piped swirl.

But then there's people who don't like lots of frosting piped on the top. They probably prefer the spread frosting.

Which is your favourite??

Recipe via Beantown Baker

2 1/4 cups cake flour (I didn't have cake flour so I made my own - you just measure out your cup of flour, and for each cup you take away 2 tablespoons of the flour and replace it with cornflour. Then sift it. And sift it again. And again and again. And once more just for good measure!!)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature
2 tsp almond extract (I didn't use this in mine)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but still cool

Set oven rack in middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended.

Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.

Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1½ minutes. Add remaining ½ cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer.

Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-17 minutes.

Cool completely prior to frosting.

As I've said before, I don't really use recipes for frosting, but here's a rough guide:

200g unsalted butter, softened
400g icing sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 - 4 drops bubblegum flavouring
3 drops blue food colouring

Beat the butter until it's smooth. Slowly add icing sugar and beat until soft & fluffy. Add milk (but don't add it all at once. Remember, you can always add more but you can't take it out!!) flavouring & colour and beat until a smooth consistency and the colour is even.

I wouldn't rely on those measurements I've given - it's just a guess. 

4 comments:

a real Friend said...

Bubblegum cupcakes....... perfect for the "young at heart". However, one question..... where do you buy bubblegum flavouring?

cupcakexgirl said...

I bought it at a cake decorating shop - if you're in Sydney, then you might know where woodpark/merrylands is. That's where I got it. It's by Roberts Confectionery - their website is www.robertsconfectionery.com.au

They've got HEAPS of good flavours - I picked up a raspberry one and a mango one too :)

Anonymous said...

Why not try blue AND pink icing? Just scoop them into the piping bag side by side and they come out in a lovely mixed swirl!

Anonymous said...

I'll immediately grasp your rss feed as I can not find your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly allow me recognise so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.

Also visit my site ... Air Jordan 2013