Cupcakes are a versatile treat that can be offered for dessert, breakfast, holidays and as an alternative to birthday cakes. Ms. Wilson's A Baker's Field Guide to Cupcakes has recipes for every season.
Sweet Cupcake Recipes
Instructions are provided for sweet cupcake master recipes, including white, yellow, chocolate, pound cake, crumb cake, carrot cake and brownie cupcakes. Frostings are also included for confectioners' sugar, fudge, ganache, cream cheese, whipped cream, meringues and poured fondant.
Spring Holiday Baking
The Field Guide section of this cookbook contains instructions for using the basic master recipes to create perfect desserts for every holiday of the year. The suggestions for spring holidays include Real Carrot, Easter Basket, April Fool's Day, Lemon Meringue, Breakfast-in-Bed, and Sunflower cupcakes.
A Versatile Dessert Cookbook
The recipes Ms. Wilson provides include beautiful photographs of her very creative ideas, but the master recipes for cupcakes and frostings can be combined in a number of ways to make unique desserts that reflect the cook or recipient's personality.
Recipe Excerpt:
Zesty Orange Pound Cake Cupcakes
A rich buttery pound cake with a dose of orange zest and sweet orange glaze.
Yield: 18 orangey cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 18 paper liners of your choice
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 6 large eggs
Glaze:
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar (or more if necessary)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place paper liners in all wells of one 12-cup and one 6-cup cupcake tin.
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 4 minutes. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in orange zest. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down after each addition, allowing each egg to be absorbed before continuing. Add the flour mixture in 4 additions, beating just until smooth on low-medium speed after each addition.
- Divide batter evenly among cupcake wells. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs. Cool pans on racks for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to cooling racks to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together confectioners' sugar and orange juice until smooth. It should look slightly opaque and be free of any lumps; you might have to whisk vigorously. If you would like to make it thicker, you may add more sugar, which will make a more opaque glaze. However, more sugar equals more sweetness, which I do not think is necessary.
- Use a teaspoon to drizzle glaze on top of cupcakes. Once it is set, you may reglaze to build up the glaze a little bit. Allow the glaze to set and dry. Cupcakes are now ready to serve.
Title: A Baker's Field Guide to Cupcakes
Author: Dede Wilson
Publisher: Harvard Common Press, $18.95, 164 pgs.
ISBN: 9-781558-323230
See Also: The Birthday Cake Book
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