Burning butter
Burnt-butter brown sugar cupcakes.
The new love of my life ;)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup self-rising cake flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
5 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
2-3 Tablespoons milk
12-cup muffin pan lines with 12 paper baking cups
Preheat the oven to 400F and then get on with burning your butter. Put it in a small saucepan on medium heat, stirring all the time until it turns dark golden color. Take the pan off the heat and strain the butter into a bowl or cup, as it will have made a sediment. In other words, this is like clarified butter, but with a smokey note. Let the butter solidify again but don't put it in the refrigerator; you need it to remain soft for the cupcakes. This shouldn't take long, except in hot weather, in which case leave the preheating of the oven till after the butter's been burnt.
When the butter is solid but still soft, put all the cake ingredients except the milk in a food processor and blitz to a smooth batter. As normal, add the milk down the funnel, pulsing sparingly to form a soft, dropping mixture.
Divide among the paper cups, and cook for 15-20 minutes. While the cupcakes are baking get on with the icing.
1/2 cups ples 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
12/3 to 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons milk
It's the same procedure for the butter-- burn, strain, solidify -- then beat it with half the sugar or enough to make it stiff. Add tablespoons of milk and the remaining sugar alternately to reach a good consistency, and finally the vanilla.
While the icing's still soft, smear messily over the cooled and waiting cupcakes.
---
I didn't use self-rising cake flour. I used my mixer instead of a food processor. And rather than burning my butter twice, I burnt a cup of butter and then just used half for the cupcake and half for the icing.
My boyfriend found the icing too butter-y. But I found it just right. It is all a matter of taste, however, with that said... the icing is really quite rich. So, some may wish to cut back on the butter a bit. The cupcakes were just right though. *rubs belly* :D
The new love of my life ;)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup self-rising cake flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
5 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
2-3 Tablespoons milk
12-cup muffin pan lines with 12 paper baking cups
Preheat the oven to 400F and then get on with burning your butter. Put it in a small saucepan on medium heat, stirring all the time until it turns dark golden color. Take the pan off the heat and strain the butter into a bowl or cup, as it will have made a sediment. In other words, this is like clarified butter, but with a smokey note. Let the butter solidify again but don't put it in the refrigerator; you need it to remain soft for the cupcakes. This shouldn't take long, except in hot weather, in which case leave the preheating of the oven till after the butter's been burnt.
When the butter is solid but still soft, put all the cake ingredients except the milk in a food processor and blitz to a smooth batter. As normal, add the milk down the funnel, pulsing sparingly to form a soft, dropping mixture.
Divide among the paper cups, and cook for 15-20 minutes. While the cupcakes are baking get on with the icing.
1/2 cups ples 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
12/3 to 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons milk
It's the same procedure for the butter-- burn, strain, solidify -- then beat it with half the sugar or enough to make it stiff. Add tablespoons of milk and the remaining sugar alternately to reach a good consistency, and finally the vanilla.
While the icing's still soft, smear messily over the cooled and waiting cupcakes.
---
I didn't use self-rising cake flour. I used my mixer instead of a food processor. And rather than burning my butter twice, I burnt a cup of butter and then just used half for the cupcake and half for the icing.
My boyfriend found the icing too butter-y. But I found it just right. It is all a matter of taste, however, with that said... the icing is really quite rich. So, some may wish to cut back on the butter a bit. The cupcakes were just right though. *rubs belly* :D