*crispy waffle*

Yeah I know, terrible terrible title! But I couldn't help myself. So I apologize anyway. Sorry!

Having found cupcake wrappers at the British expat store (of course it took me a while because they call it 'muffin cases', how un-American of them!) I've been psyched to start working on cupcakes again. This baking frenzy was spurred a few weeks ago when I was asked, by a fellow Seattlelite, which cupcake at Cupcake Royale was my favorite. As always when I'm talking with Seattlelites, I had to apologetically confess that actually, no, I didn't eat cupcakes at Cupcake Royale anymore because the level of sweetness makes me incredibly sick. I am always met with a totally incredulous look, and I always feel bad about this admission because let me tell ya, Seattlelites love themselves some Cupcake Royale. The problem is that in Seattle, Cupcake Royale is the only game in town; I think there needs to be some friendly competition in that space!

That said, I actually like their cake part of the cupcake quite a bit: it's got that crispy top 'lip' that is special about cupcakes as opposed to regular cakes. The part that I can't deal with is the frosting: it is truly, stickily, sickeningly sweet. I found out that it is what is known as 'American buttercream' or for those who are sticklers about accuracy, an American butter frosting (since it doesn't involve the creaming of eggs and butter that a classic buttercream has). An American buttercream consists of butter, flavoring such as vanilla or chocolate or whatever, and copious amounts of powdered sugar to give it a creamy consistency and sweet taste. Too sweet, in my opinion. But, I know there are people out there who like it, and who've grown up on American cakes and frostings. I actually have a beautiful mother who loves to bake, so we grew up either eating her cakes, or cakes she bought at Filipino bakeries. The taste in Filipino desserts is far less sweet than the typical American dessert, so preference is basically, (literally) a matter of taste.

I made a batch of yellow cupcakes and gave them two different frosting treatments: a chocolate American buttercream, and a classic chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. I prefer eating the meringue buttercream because you can more easily control the sugar, as the texture is not dependent on the amount of sugar used, as it is in an American buttercream. But honestly, the butter + powdered sugar method is incredibly easy and worth doing if you don't have the time to do a classic buttercream (and don't mind copious amounts of powdered sugar.)

The cake I made is a favorite: you'll find it's the easiest recipe there is (I based it on a recipe from Cooks Illustrated), and it's great especially for a meringue buttercream because the icing gives you a use for the egg whites you would otherwise discard. Also, if you fill the cups up enough you will get that crispy 'lip' on the edges of the cupcakes. Delish!

Vanilla Cupcakes
makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the oven rack in the middle position. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake wrappers.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light colored and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg, egg yolks and vanilla and beat at medium speed until thoroughly incorporated.
Add the sour cream and beat until incorporated.
Add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Remove and cool to room temperature on a rack, about 45 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the frosting of your choice.

Buttercream 1: Chocolate American Buttercream
For this recipe, I tried to cut down a bit on the confectioners' sugar that is normally called for in a typical recipe, but don't take it down any further because it will affect texture. If you like a less sweet frosting, try the Meringue Buttercream below.

Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted in a double boiler and cooled to room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add chocolate and stir until just combined with a rubber spatula.
Add milk, vanilla and sugar. Beat at medium speed until just combined. (be careful not to overbeat).
Frost the cupcakes with an offset spatula.

Cupcakes with chocolate American buttercream

Buttercream 2: Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This buttercream is definitely more of a pain in the neck to make, but it has its advantages over the easy recipe above: it has a super creamy texture that you can't achieve with confectioners' sugar, it can be adjusted for sweetness while still maintaining its creamy texture, and it doesn't get crusty like a confectioners' sugar icing. Also, it actually uses less butter because it gets a lot of volume from the egg whites. All in all, I think, worth the trouble.

Ingredients
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cups) butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted in a double boiler and cooled to room temperature

Combine the sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar and water in the stainless steel bowl of an electric mixer (i.e. your KitchenAid bowl). Bring a large pan of water to simmer, making sure that the water is a the same height as the egg whites in your stainless bowl. Set the bowl in the pan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Be really careful not to curdle the egg whites-- simply remove the bowl from the heat for a bit if it feels like that's happening. Also, you'll know when it's getting close to 160 degrees; the mixture will be getting ultra foamy, like the top of a latte. (A really good latte that is-- one of those kinds where it has a leaf-pattern on top, you know what I'm talking about.)
Remove the bowl to your stand mixer and beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture holds glossy, marshmallowy peaks. Remove the meringue to another bowl.
In the standing mixer, beat half the butter and one-third of the meringue until well combined. Continue to add the remaining two-thirds of the meringue a dollop at a time. The mixture may look scarily curdled at this point; adding the remaining butter a tablespoon at a time will smooth things out. (Basically, just keep adding a bit of butter at a time until the curdling corrects itself.)
Using a rubber spatula, stir in the melted chocolate until well-combined.
Frost the cupcakes using an offset spatula.

Cupcakes with chocolate swiss meringue buttercream

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

posted by sheryl | 2:48 PM | | share: facebook | tweet this!

Howdy,

I like Cupcake Royale for the free wifi and the tea. The cupcakes are too sweet, just like you say.

Instead, I like going to Yummy House Bakery in the ID for a sponge cake; a fluffly, slightly sweet dessert that starts in a "muffin case" and then expands 300% straight up.

It's like eating a sweet, egg-y cloud. Just slightly sweet.

French people share the Chinese dislike of super-sweet, so when I need to get some visiting Frenchies a birthday cake, I get it from Yummy House.
By

john patrick 6/10/06 12:21 AM

My wife is the afore mentioned "fellow Seattlite". However, I'm also not a big fan of Cupcake Royale (though, admittedly, I really like the idea, atmosphere and design of the logo/store so we go not infrequently). The sweet doesn't bother me (while I would never admit it, there is a small chance that I actually prefer grocery-store-sugar-infested cakes to fancy buttercream ones like Botticelli... but I'll never admit it).

My problem with Cupcake Royale is the lack of variety. All they do is cupcakes so how about a variety of cupcakes, not simple different frostings. Maybe there's some purist thing I'm missing but if you just sell ice cream, you have 31 flavors, and as I learned in Belgium, if you just sell fries, you have 20 different sauces. There is a new Cupcake place (NY Cupcakes?) going in near Westlake Center in Seattle...
By

Tuffer 6/12/06 8:09 PM

Yeah, my family would like to thank Michelle for inspiring me to feed them cupcakes over the previous few weeks. :)

Actually, Cupcake Royale comes up more often than you'd think, for someone living in the Netherlands-- whenever I'm talking with any Seattlelite inevitably the topic is raised.

I agree on the lack of variety. My favorite cupcake ever was a pistachio cupcake at Sugar Sweet Sunshine in NYC (which I fondly took a photo of, here), and it had none of the toothachy sweetness of CR's cupcakes either. Thanks for the news-- I'm glad they're getting some competition!

Oh yeah, and JP, Yummy House rules! (but it can't take the place of my true love: Delite Bakery's macapuno-filled cakes.)
By

sheryl 6/13/06 7:11 PM

By the way, that last picture is total food porn. I just looked at it again, and I noticed that my breathing quickened.
By

john patrick 6/14/06 4:02 AM

LOL, reading the title of your post made me laugh because I just posted something not too long ago that I laos had to apologise about the title. Sometimes you just have to indulge yourself though.
And I love the cupcakes by the way, they are to die for!
By

jenjen 6/25/06 6:58 PM

If you live in seattle try Trophy cupcakes in Wallingford Center. Adorable little place and the BEST baked good I've ever put in my mouth....EVER!!!!
By

Anonymous 6/14/07 2:35 AM

I was searching the web for a great cupcake recipe, as I am throwing a wedding shower this weekend. As a fellow Seattlite, I have to say Yay! I am so glad to hear someone else say they don't like Cupcake Royale; I am disappointed in their product, but everyone I know thinks I'm crazy to say it! I think part of my disappointment comes from the fact that I used to own a coffeehouse and baked my own goodies, so I have pretty high standards for other shops(in fact the owner of Cupcake Royale used to come into our shop to ask advice on her business plan!). Anyway, glad to hear someone else concurs with me. :-) I will be trying your recipes out soon (I was going to do it tomorrow, but I might have to make a batch today to test them out ~ I am craving cupcakes now that I've been reading about them!). Thanks for providing a great blog!
By

Anonymous 8/2/07 10:42 PM

Being born in Taiwan has its advantages...being spoiled by French Bakeries. I came from the R.O.C when I was 7 years old. To this day, I will never find a bakery to that I remember as a child. In Taiwan, the bakeries (back in the days and I am only 35!) you walked into, not a thing was covered. They were lined out on trays that you can just walk up to pick up with your hands. Clean or not! I didn't care...it meant I can eat my bun that was stuffed with a potato salad with ham and peas (now...keep in mind...meat in Taiwan was expensive!) and carrots. That potato salad was something my mom got the recipe for and has passed onto me. Thank goodness....however...the CAKES was what did me in! I will never (to this day) find a bakery here in California, Los Angeles even; that will measure up to the cakes that I grew up with.

I came across your recipe and called my mom. I asked her if she remembers what made the cakes in Taiwan so distinct. She said "it has a moist fluffiness that had a bit of tart". Instantly, the sour cream jumped out at me! I am so going to make this for my daughter's 2nd birthday party coming this Saturday the 15th!

My only question is, how would I go about making this cake chocolate? Do I double boil the chocolate and cut back on something? I am not a natural "baker". I do very well following recipes though.

As for the frosting, last year, my niece made me the "butter cream" frosting and NOT ONE PERSON ATE THE CAKE! It was so....ack..omg...I'm gagging from the sweetness.

My wedding cake was frosted with fondant that they made from scratch (very little sugar) and was accented (which I just found out today) with Meringue Butter Cream! Which...I thought was just the right sweetness.

My other frosting that I have made has 2 cups whipping cream, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, instant pudding....make the pudding chill. whip the cream and sugar till fluffy, start adding and folding in the pudding...i use it for filling and for frosting...it will need to stay in fridge as after an hour, the frosting will melt. I will take pictures of Carisa's birthday cake when i am done and add my comments of this what sounds like...delicious cake. Thank you for sharing it!

Silvia Long Beach, Ca.
By

Silvia 9/8/07 4:48 PM

Hi Silvia,
Thanks for your comment!
To answer your question, I wouldn't simply add chocolate-- chocolate adds starch to the batter, so a bunch of other stuff would have to be adjusted. For chocolate cake, I actually have another post (I usually don't make it into cupcakes, but if you adjust the baking time, it would work). Here is my recipe for chocolate cake. Enjoy!
By

sheryl 9/11/07 10:19 AM

i love this recipe, but i need to make it ahead of time. Would it be possible to freeze the cupcakes?

if so, should i freeze them with or without frosting?

and if without frosting should i frost when they are still frozen. or when they are thawed?
By

Anonymous 9/27/08 6:32 PM

Hi there,
You can freeze the cupcakes -- freeze them the same day you've made them, then the night before you need them, thaw in the refrigerator. Do not freeze them with the frosting. You can also make the frosting in advance and freeze that separately -- do the same thing: freeze it the day you've made it and thaw in the fridge the night before. Enjoy!
By

sheryl 9/28/08 7:51 PM