Friday, May 22, 2009

Swoon-worthy cupcakes

I love pie more than cake.  But if a cake is exactly right I do love a good cake.  My criteria is not too sweet and definately no frosting that is made from lard.  Butter is good but only if it's not too sugary.  Normally I scrape off frosting.  I'm just not a huge sugar eater.  (although my entire family is mad for sugar).  

An aside here: My family goes to the grocery store and rarely buy salty things, it's all sweet.  I'm deprived because I always go for the salty and tangy stuff.  

A few months ago one of my co-workers brought in some cupcakes made by his wife.  She's a danged good baker.  I held back from eathing the cupcakes tho, they were mounded with frosting.  

But the sounds that were coming from all the co-workers were making me wonder just what I was missing.  I was swayed as I saw each person take a bite, make a noise and then their eyes practically rolled back into their head.

I tried one.  OMG, soooo delicious.  The icing was exactly right.  Buttery with the exact right amount of sweetness.  The cake moist and perfect.  I had to have the recipe (so my daughter could make them as I do not bake).

I emailed the baker and she told me it was this recipe, click here. She made one small adjustment, she used evaporated milk instead of coconut milk.  She doesn't like coconut so she improvised.  

I like coconut but I didn't miss the taste of coconut.  I might swoon if I (hahaha, the daughter) made it with unsweetened coconut milk so I (errr, the daughter) thought one day I'd try and find unsweetened coconut milk and try.  She did put toasted coconut on some of the cupcakes and that was delicous too.  I ate 3 that day.  2 with toasted coconut, 1 without.  I swooned all three times.  

Just in case that link ever goes away I thought I'd post the entire recipe here: 

Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Frosting
The secret to these moist cupcakes? Reduced coconut milk.
makes 18 

Recipe by Abigail Johnson Dodge (posted at bonappetit.com)

April 2009 
Ingredients
reduced coconut milk
2 13- to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk (preferably organic) 
cupcakes
2 cups all purpose flour 
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
1 1/3 cups sugar 
3 large eggs 
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature 
frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 
1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature 
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish) 
Preparation
reduced coconut milk
Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconut milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to medium-low; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
cupcakes
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups.
Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.
frosting
Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.
Using pastry bag fitted with large star tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. (Alternatively, top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting. Using small offset spatula, swirl frosting over top of cupcakes, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.) Sprinkle with coconut. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight containers; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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