0.0 – 0 reviews • Halloween
| Level: |
Intermediate |
| Total: |
1 hr 45 min |
| Active: |
55 min |
| Yield: |
12 cupcakes |
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- Pink candy goo (or cherry or strawberry jam), for filling
- 1 recipe American Buttercream, recipe follows
- Red, yellow and black food coloring
- 2 tablespoons red piping gel
- 4 sticks (1 pound) butter, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or any other flavor you want), optional
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/4 cup whole milk
Instructions
- For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the egg white, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the vanilla and beat on medium-high speed for about 1 minute.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the flour mixture and the milk into the egg mixture in three parts¿flour-milk-flour, taking care to scrape down the sides as you go, and incorporating each addition well. Mix until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups using an ice-cream scoop–the batter should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 16 minutes.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Then remove from the pan to the rack to cool completely.
- For the filling and decoration: Use a cupcake corer to hollow out the center of the cupcakes, saving the tops; then fill with a couple tablespoons of candy goo. Slice the top off of the plug you removed from the cupcake and place back in the hole to seal in the filling. Use a couple of drops of red food coloring and the smallest amount of yellow and black to color your frosting. Frost the tops of cupcakes with a thin layer of buttercream. Place the remaining buttercream into a pastry bag fitting with a medium round tip. Pipe squiggles around the top of the cupcakes, creating two hemispheres of the brain. Thin the red piping gel with a teaspoon of water and use a spoon to drizzle over top of the brain to get into crevices.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine all the ingredients. Whip the mixture on low speed for a while. When the sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer speed up and whip until the buttercream is smooth and looks right to you. If it’s too cold, persuade it with a blowtorch if you have one. If it’s too wet, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it’s too stiff, add a bit more butter. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice to make sure everything is combined.
- Use immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Rewhip cold buttercream before using it.