Cupcakes: Luscious Bakeshop Favorites from Your Home Kitchen

By Shelly Kaldunski

From the former Martha Stewart Living food editor: “A must-read for novices and experts alike . . . really gets the creative juices flowing” (Gastronomy).

Cupcakes are everyone’s favorite little indulgences. They’re loved by kids and adults alike because they’re playfully sweet as well as utterly charming. These days, cupcakes can be found in bakeries everywhere, but with just a little know-how, you can easily bake your own tempting boutique-bakery cupcakes at home and decorate them with flair.

Cupcakes contains recipes for every palate: Here you’ll find classic Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream for the traditionalist, Triple Chocolate Cupcakes for the chocaholic, PB & J Cupcakes for the kids, Salted Caramel Cupcakes for the epicurean, as well as seasonal holiday cupcakes, and dozens more. Whether you are a novice or experienced baker, inside these pages you’ll find friendly advice about ingredients and equipment, cupcake-making and baking tips, and a collection of ideas for decorating your cupcakes with either elegant minimalism or grand flourishes.

With this book as your guide, cupcakes have never tasted—or looked—so good!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781616289805

Shelly Kaldunski

Shelly Kaldunski is a cookbook author, baking and pastry arts instructor, food stylist, and consultant based in Northern California. As a pastry chef, Shelly baked in restaurants in San Francisco before a stint as food editor at Martha Stewart Living.

Book preview

Luscious bakeshop favorites from your home kitchen

recipes by Shelly Kaldunski

photographs by David Matheson

Contents

Introduction

Basic Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes

Yellow Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

Devil’s Food Cupcakes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Mocha Cupcakes

Chai & Honey Cupcakes

Crumbcake Cupcakes

Strawberry Cupcakes

Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Fruit & Nut Cupcakes

Triple Berry Cupcakes

Grapefruit & Buttermilk Cupcakes

Rose Water & Raspberry Cupcakes

Lemon Blueberry Crunch Cupcakes

Sour Cherry–Almond Cupcakes

Lime Meringue Cupcakes

Tangerine Cupcakes

Apple Spice Cupcakes

Coconut-Lime Cupcakes

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

Rum Raisin Cupcakes

Banana Caramel Cupcakes

PB & J Cupcakes

Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes

Hazelnut–Brown Butter Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

Black Forest Cupcakes

Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Mini Chocolate-Mint Cupcakes

Molten Chocolate Cupcakes

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Black & White Cupcakes

Rocky Road Cupcakes

White Chocolate & Raspberry Cupcakes

Special-Occasion Cupcakes

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Tiramisu Cupcakes

Jumbo Malted Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Mini Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcakes

Ice Cream Cupcakes

Easter Egg Nest Cupcakes

Fourth of July Cupcakes

Creepy Crawler Halloween Cupcakes

Christmas Peppermint Cupcakes

Frostings, Fillings & Finishes

Basic Buttercream

Buttercream Flavors

Cream Cheese Frosting with variations

Peanut Butter Frosting

Meringue Frosting

Marshmallow Frosting

Sweetened Whipped Cream

German Chocolate Topping

Rich Chocolate Glaze

Gooey Chocolate Glaze

Vanilla Glaze with variations

Grapefruit or Lime Curd

Caramel Drizzle

Candied Grapefruit Peel

Sugared Flowers & Petals

Candied Carrots

Creative Cupcaking

Presenting your Cupcakes

Index

Acknowledgments

All About Cupcakes

NAME THAT CUPCAKE

Two theories exist about how cupcakes came to be called cupcakes. One theory supposes that they got their name because they were baked in small cups or tea cups to create individually sized cakes. The other theorizes that cupcakes, like pound cakes, were named after the formula or recipe that was used to make them: one cup each of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs.

Once upon a time, cupcakes were treats just for kids. With colorful sprinkles and bright, brassy decorations, cupcakes were meant to enchant the youthful eye, and the sugary cake and frosting were made to tickle kids’ insatiable sweet tooth. What’s more, cupcakes didn’t—and still don’t—require the formality of a fork to eat and they’re baked in pint-sized portions so no sharing is ever required. As a kid, what’s not to love about cupcakes?

But at long last, adults have begun to realize what they’ve been missing and cupcakes’ popularity has soared. Chic, stylish cupcakes can be found in boutique bakeries, on trendy A-list restaurant menus, and even at fashionable nuptials. There’s no rule that says it’s necessary to have a special occasion to enjoy cupcakes. Packed into a lunchbox as a surprise for an unsuspecting student, dished up as a weeknight dessert, or served to friends after a casual supper, cupcakes are welcome little indulgences at any time.

In this book, you will find cupcake recipes for every palate. For traditionalists there are Yellow Cupcakes (see recipe) with Chocolate Buttercream (see recipe). There are riffs on classic desserts, such as Black Forest Cupcakes (see recipe) and Tiramisu Cupcakes (see recipe). For discerning adult taste buds, there are Chai & Honey Cupcakes (see recipe) and Salted Caramel Cupcakes (see recipe). Kids will love PB & J Cupcakes (see recipe) and Rocky Road Cupcakes (see recipe). And, of course, you will find ideas for decorating your cupcakes with modern minimalism, elegant flourishes, and colorful exuberance.

Ingredients

HOW TO TOAST NUTS

It’s almost always a good idea to toast nuts before using them. Toasting deepens the flavor, heightens the aroma, and crisps the texture of just about any type of nut. Whole or chopped nuts can be toasted on the stovetop, but if you’re baking cupcakes and the oven is already on, simply scatter the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Be sure stir them once or twice so they toast evenly. Once the nuts become fragrant, keep a close watch so that they don’t scorch. Let them cool and they’re ready to use.

BUTTER There’s nothing like the richness of pure butter in baked goods. For cupcakes and frostings, be sure that the butter you use is unsalted. Unsalted butter allows you to have full control over the amount of salt that goes into a recipe. On the package, unsalted butter is sometimes labeled as sweet butter. For the best results, do not use butter substitutes: In addition to affecting flavor, butter substitutes may also affect the cupcakes’ texture.

FLOUR There are two types of flour commonly used in cake making: all-purpose flour and cake flour. All-purpose flour has a higher protein content than cake flour and, by comparison, yields a firmer cake texture. Cake flour is often used in recipes when a plush, ultra-tender cake texture is desired. If cake flour is not available, for every 1 cup of cake flour needed, use ⅞ cup (¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

SUGARS Sugar gives cupcakes their sweetness. It also tenderizes, adds moisture, and promotes browning during baking. Granulated sugar is the kind most often used in baking because it has a neutral flavor. Brown sugar contains molasses, which makes it moist and gives it caramel-like nuances. It’s great for use in recipes that contain assertive flavors. Confectioners’ sugar, also called powdered sugar, is granulated sugar that has been pulverized to a fine powder and combined with cornstarch. Confectioners’ sugar is often used in glazes, frostings, and for dusting sweets just before serving.

EGGS The recipes in this book, like most others, were developed with large eggs. If the eggs need to be separated, it’s easier to do so when they’re cold and the yolks are firm. If you’ll be whipping the egg whites, they must be free of bits of yolk and fat, so use care when separating the eggs, and be sure that the bowl and beaters that you use to whip the whites are clean.

BAKING SODA AND BAKING POWDER Baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents that help cupcake batter rise during baking. Baking soda is used when the batter contains an acidic ingredient like buttermilk or sour cream. Baking