HOMEMADE FUNFETTI CUPCAKES

What is your kids favorite boxed cake flavor?  Most likely Funfetti, right?  There is just something about those pretty colors speckled inside a white cake that kids (okay and adults too) just love!  But, maybe you are trying to get away from using box mixes or maybe you don't have one on hand, but you are really craving that cake.  Well, there is a solution, just make it from scratch!  All you do is make a white cake and add some sprinkles to the batter.  That's it! I was worried that my cake batter would be too thin and the sprinkles would just sink to the bottom, but luckily it was a thicker batter, so they stayed evenly distributed throughout.  


I have been wanting to try the Classic White Cake recipe from Cook's Illustrated  and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity.  I really liked these cupcakes, they weren't too light or too heavy.  I added slightly less almond extract than the recipe called for, because I didn't want it to be overpowering.  These had an interesting mixing method, that I had never tried before.  Instead of creaming the butter and sugar, you add the butter into the dry ingredients.  It seemed to work fine.  


I originally found the buttercream recipe on one of my favorite blogs (www.pinksugardesserts.com), but then one day, I went to that blog and it was gone and something else was there?  I don't know what happened? Then, I found a similar version on Cooking With Carrie, she said this is her new favorite buttercream.  I tried it with vanilla pudding because that is what I had on hand, but it gave the buttercream a weird yellow color, so I added some red food coloring and got a pinkish color.  This is not one of those frostings I would sit and eat with a spoon, it was ok plain, but not my favorite.  I prefer a more heavy and buttery frosting.  Although, the combination of the cake and frosting together was really really good.        

Classic White Cupcakes

adapted from: Cook's Illustrated

(Printable Recipe)

2 1/4 c. cake flour

1 c. whole milk (I used 1%)

6 Lg. egg whites (3/4 cup)

2 tsp. almond extract (I used 1 tsp.)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 c. sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. table salt

12 Tbl. unsalted butter, soft but still cool

4 Tbl. jimmies (sprinkles)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tin with paper liners.  Pour milk, egg whites and extracts into a 2 cup glass measure and mix with a fork until blended.  Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed.  Add butter, continue beating at slow speed until resembles moist crumbs with no powdery streaks remaining.  Add all but 1/2 cup milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes.  Add remaining milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more.  Stop mixer and scrape bowl.  Add jimmies and  return to medium and beat 20 seconds.  Scoop into liners, filling 2/3 full.  Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 14-18 minutes.  Let rest in pan 3 minutes.  Remove and cool completely. Yield: 24-26 cupcakes.

Buttercream Frosting

adapted from: pinksugardesserts and here

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.

1 stick salted butter, room temp.

1 pkg. white chocolate instant pudding mix

   or any flavor you like (I used vanilla)

1/2 - 3/4 c. heavy cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. powdered sugar (I added a little more) 

Cream the butter together until smooth and silky and then mix in the remaining ingredients on low, ending with the powdered sugar. When fully incorporated, bring speed to medium and beat about 5 minutes.  If it is a little grainy still, beat a few more minutes until smooth and fluffy.   Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  Keep refrigerated.