Cupcake Frenzy

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Cupcake Frenzy

recipes : knitting : zines : music : art : kitties : revolution

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Vanilla Cupcakes with Rosewater Icing

For weeks I have been searching for vanilla bean paste. While it's fine to use vanilla essence or extract, I like to use real vanilla for special occasions, and scraping vanilla pods is a pain. I finally found some yesterday - huzzah! Bloody expensive stuff - $14.99 for a little jar. Still, I think the difference it makes to the finished cupcake makes it worth the expense. Fingers crossed it will last me a long time too!

I made these cupcakes for Leigh's mum's birthday. She loved them and I have to say they were quite yummy :) Next time I think I will add more food colouring to the icing, to make the rose pink colour show through more.

Vanilla Cupcakes
makes about 24 regular size cupcakes

125g (4 1/2 oz) butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or one vanilla bean, split & scraped)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (4 fl oz) milk

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (320 F). Line cupcake tin with paper cases.
2. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well.
4. Sift over the flour and baking powder and beat until combined.
5. Fold through the milk and spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases. Fill the cases 3/4 full.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire racks, then frost with rosewater icing.

Rosewater Icing

1 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup (2 fl oz) water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon rosewater
3 eggwhites
red or rose pink food colouring

1. Place the sugar, water, cream of tartar and rosewater into a saucepan over high heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
2. Beat the eggwhites in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. With the beaters still on, gradually add the sugar mixture and beat until thick and glossy.
3. With a flat-bladed knife, stir in the food colouring a drop at a time until you reach the colour desired.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I will try these very soon! Thanks for the recipe :)

7:12 pm  
Blogger :: amy :: said...

no problem! hope they work for you!

12:49 pm  

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