I made a big batch of Martha Stewart vanilla buttermilk cupcakes the other day and did some flavor experimenting. I baked some of the cupcakes as plain vanilla, and then I added extra ingredients to change them into other flavors. I made 5 different cupcakes: vanilla, latte, chocolate chip cookie, cookies n' cream, and cookie dough.
Here is the basic recipe I started with:
Martha's Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes (thank you 52cupcakes for the recipe)
makes about 36
3 cups cake flour (not -self--rising)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (21/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Fluffy Vanilla Frosting (see below)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add yolks, and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in vanilla.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
4. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and, if desired, decorate with sprinkles before serving.
Martha's Vanilla Frosting
Makes about 4 cups
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy.
Add vanilla, and beat until frosting is smooth. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.
-----------
For the latte cupcakes, I had some Cafe Vienna instant coffee left over from when my mother visited. (She starts every morning with a bowl size mug of the stuff.) I separated enough batter for about 3 cupcakes and added a few teaspoons of the instant coffee to the batter. For the frosting I put a few drops of coffee extract into the vanilla frosting. I think a coffee syrup, similar to what is made for a tiramisu would have been good to add to the frosting too.
I think a chocolate covered espresso bean would be a great topper for this cupcake, but I didn't have any. So I put on a mini chocolate chip and pretended it was a bean.
I'm not a big fan of coffee or coffee flavor, but I tried this cupcake just to get an idea if it was any good. Pretty good! It didn't scream coffee flavor, which was nice for me, but what about coffee fans? Well, my husband's coffee loving coworkers loved them and said they want to start everyday off with one of them.
Next time- chocolate chip cookie cupcake.
