Funfetti cupcakes with lemon curd filling

It's a party! But wait, there's more...

Now it's REALLY a party.

Did y'all know that Funfetti cupcakes are actually a thing?

Okay, I admit that I knew that Funfetti existed, but I don't use cake mixes and I am not sure that my mama ever allowed sprinkles to enter the house when I was growing up (except for Christmas sugar cookies, and those were just the tiny dots, not the jimmies - and I didn't even know that the longer sprinkles were called "jimmies" until I got to college). I remember once I begged and begged for the rainbow chip cake mix (and can o'frosting) and actually got it - and wow, that stuff was...not to my taste. 

Anyway, there's this big, bearded grumpy guy that I used to work with and we were sitting around talking about cakes and cupcakes (which was fun just in and of itself - "How about camouflage? Can you make a camouflage cake???") and then he rested back in his chair, clasped his hands together and said, "You know what I really like? Funfetti cake. That's my absolute favorite."

Hee. Really, tough guy?

And that's how Funfetti cupcakes started bouncing around in my brain. Like my mother, I'm not really a sprinkle kind of girl. I like to add flavor, not just color (unless it's edible glitter, because, sparkles). But I couldn't drum up any real interest in them because it seemed like it would be just white cake, white frosting, and sprinkles. Eh.

Then I started thinking about it - you know what ELSE has white cake and white frosting? Birthday cake. At least, what I think of as birthday cake. I know, I know - I make all these complicated cupcakes and flavors and that's well and good, but when it comes to birthday cakes I want white cake, white frosting, lemon filling, and pale pink roses for decoration. Just like I used to get from Pollman's Bakery in Mobile, Alabama growing up (which is still my standard for THE birthday cake, and I can't get anything like it where I live now). Adding a lemon curd filling to the funfetti standards should take the flavors right to birthday cake level, I thought, and the sprinkles will bring the party.

They did, too. This works perfectly, for me at least. One bite of these cupcakes just yells "birthday," but what's even better, the lemon curd is smooth and tart and relieves the unrelenting sweetness of the Funfetti. I also decided on a whipped vanilla buttercream instead of the standard, dense, birthday shortening-y buttercream, for a lighter effect. I also added sprinkles to the batter, and to the frosting, and then even over the tops (because seriously, why do when you can overdo?).

These are pretty easy to make - the whole thing came together in a morning - and while it may not be the most sophisticated and over the top cupcake you'll ever have, it's familiar and fun and happy and that's a-okay with me. I'm going to stop sneering at the sprinkles. My daughter will be so pleased!

Makes 24 party-in-the-cupcakes

Start with the lemon curd filling, and then set it in the refrigerator to cool while you make the cupcakes.

Lemon Curd
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

• 3 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound butter (1 stick), softened
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Zest the three lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined. The mixture is going to look curdled. Don't panic! Just keep going.
Pour the mixture into a heavy 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat set in the refrigerator to cool until the cupcakes are ready to fill.

Looky! I got a new candy thermometer. It works much better than the glass one I used to have.

Funfetti Cupcakes

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 2¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 2½ cups cake flour
• 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup sprinkles (I used jimmies)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
In a bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and granulated sugar. Cream for 5 minutes. Return to the fridge for 5 minutes. Then, cream for another five minutes. This will add in lots of air into the batter, making for fluffier cupcakes.
Add the vanilla extract. Add each egg individually, and then add the egg whites.
In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Beginning and ending with the flour, alternate mixing in the flour mixture and milk. Fold in the sprinkles with a spatula.
Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full, and then bake for 15 minutes or when a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for five minutes, them remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

To fill the cupcakes: Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut out a cone-shaped portion out of the top of each cake. Slice off the excess cake from the cone (leaving the flat cap) and reserve the top. Fill the resulting hole with about a tablespoon of the lemon curd (or however much you need). Replace the cap. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes, and then put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill and set the filling.

Whipped Vanilla Funfetti Buttercream

• 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sprinkles (I used jimmies)
• Extra sprinkles for garnish

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add the confectioners’ sugar to the bowl and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod (if using) into the bowl and add in the salt.  Continue to beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated.  Increase the mixer speed and whip on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 4-5 minutes. Fold in the sprinkles gently with a spatula.

Frost the filled cupcakes with a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Sprinkle on a few more jimmies over the top of each cupcakes because hey, why stop now?

Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator but let them come up to room temperature before serving.

Good morning to sunshine and sprinkles and pretty, happy cupcakes!

Chocolate-dipped Strawberry Cupcakes

Okay, these are hard to cut in half neatly. But you get the general idea.

Humph. It's been about eight months since I've done any cupcake posts. It's not that I haven't been baking - I just haven't made any cupcakes lately. I wanted to do something different. 

This is different. It's based on the hi-hat cupcakes I've seen online (which just make me think of the chocolate-dipped cones from Dairy Queen that my grandmother never let us get, and then I get said with the "might-have-beens")), and is also reminiscent of a chocolate-dipped strawberry. The frosting is a Swiss meringue buttercream (which I love and I never make, and I don't know why that is) with a fresh strawberry puree added in (so this cupcake is, of course, best when strawberries are in season). Swiss meringue buttercream is just so delicious - it's much lighter than a regular, powdered sugar buttercream and is billowy and shiny and just delicious, if a bit more work. Just make sure that you pay attention, use a candy thermometer, and follow the directions! The cake is my favorite, super-easy dark chocolate cake and the filling is really just a homemade strawberry jam. Really none of the steps are hard and the result is quite rewarding. Now I'm thinking about making cupcakes based on boxes of chocolates (I think I'm the only person I know who always liked the vanilla cream ones). But that's another project. On to the task at hand!

We'll start with the filling first, which is simple and then can just be set aside until it's ready to use.

~Strawberry Filling~

2 cups diced strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water (stir well to get rid of lumps)
pinch of salt
squeeze of lemon juice

Cook the strawberries in a medium-sized heavy saucepan over medium heat until they have started to cook down and the juices have been released. Add in the sugar and the cornstarch mixture and cook and stir for another two minutes, until the mixture has thickened. Add in the salt and lemon juice and stir; remove the strawberry filling and set aside to cool before using.

 
 

~ Chocolate Cupcakes ~

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder
3/4 cup hot coffee
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin or line with baking liners.

Combine chocolate, cocoa, espresso powder in a medium mixing bowl and pour hot coffee over. Let sit until chocolate is melted. Stir to combine; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. To chocolate mixture add vinegar, oil, eggs, and vanilla; mix well with fork to combine. Pour over flour mixture and stir well.
Pour the batter into the lined muffin tin (filling about 3/4 full) - the batter will be thin. Bake at 350 for 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes in pan and then cool completely on a wire rack.

To fill the cupcakes: Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut out a cone-shaped portion out of the top of each cake. Slice off the excess cake from the cone (leaving the flat cap) and reserve the top. Fill the resulting hole with about a tablespoon of the raspberry filling (or however much you need). Replace the cap. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes, and then put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill and set the filling.

  
 ~ Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting ~


1 1/2 cups diced strawberries
4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature

Puree the strawberries in a food processor.
Combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer set over a small pan of simmering water.  Whisk constantly by hand until the sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips) and the mixture has come to 160-165 degrees (so yes, use a candy thermometer).
Attach the bowl to the stand mixer and fit with the whisk attachment.  Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, mix until stiff (but not dry) peaks form.  Continue mixing until until the mixture is light, fluffy, glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the mixing bowl), about 10 minutes.
With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well between each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium, and mix until the buttercream comes together (this can take awhile, so be patient. If the mixture looks a little runny, or even curdled, just keep beating. I think that this is where most people give up on Swiss buttercream. Don't do that!).  Switch to the paddle attachment and beat at medium-low speed to remove air bubbles, about 2 minutes.  Gradually add the strawberry puree, and mix to combine.

Frost the cupcakes using a pastry bag fitted with a large, round tip, then stow the frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator to firm up before dipping. 

~ Chocolate Coating ~

12 oz good bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (chocolate chips are fine, here)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Melt the chocolate and the oil in the microwave in 30-second intervals or until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted, stirring after every 30 seconds. Conversely, you can do this in a double boiler. Set the chocolate aside for 15 minutes or so to cool before dipping the cupcakes.

So, you'll see some recipes instruct you to hold the cupcake upside down and dip the frosted cupcake into the chocolate. I did this once and the frosting came clean off the cupcake. Therefore, I just put the cupcakes on a wire rack set over some wax paper, spooned the chocolate over the top of the cupcakes and let it drip down over the sides. It's artistic! Also, easier. 

Put the cupcakes in the refrigerator to let the chocolate set up before serving.

Makes 12 cupcakes.