Grapefruit Cupcakes

Grapefruits are one of those items that you have such big ideas for in the grocery store, but once you get them home, they sit in your crisper for a week or two before you remember that you were going to eat a half everyday.  There are many health benefits to grapefruits that many people aren't aware of.  It contains lots of Vitamin C which helps support your immune system.  In addition to Vitamin C, it also contains Vitamins A, K, and E as well as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, and folate.  If you are on any medication however, talk to your doctor to make sure that grapefruit won't affect your medicine, as it can interfere with many prescribed medications.  Packed with healthful nutrients and full of fiber which helps you feel full and satisfied?  I'm definitely going to dig mine out of my crisper drawer.

If you're purchasing grapefruits that are grown in Texas or Florida, they are in season from October to June, which means they're in their peak!!  And with the weather we've been having in Grand Rapids recently, what could be better than grapefruit cupcakes??  I found this delicious recipe in the May issue of the Food Network Magazine. The garnish on my cupcakes can be found in step by step instructions in the magazine.  I tweaked the recipe (as I always do) because I don't have elderflower liqueur on hand, and I'm not quite sure where to find it as of yet.  However, I think they came out great!

Grapefruit Cupcakes (Recipe courtesy of the May 2014 Issue of Food Network Magazine)
Makes about 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
1/2 cup milk

Process

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixer.  Use speed 2, or medium speed and beat for 5 minutes.  This step is super important because this is where you get some of your height.  The butter mixture should look white when done.  Beat in eggs one at a time.

2.  Beat in vanilla and grapefruit zest.  Add the baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup of the flour to the butter mixture.  Add 1/4 cup of the milk.  Add another 1/2 cup of flour followed by the rest of the milk. Finish with the remaining 1/2 cup flour and mix until just combined.  Take care to not over mix this batter as it will result in cupcakes with tunneling, which is an unattractive crumb on the inside.

3.  Divide into lined cupcake tins and fill 2/3 of the way full.  Mine baked for exactly 17 minutes and were perfectly done without being too golden brown.

Grapefruit Buttercream
Frosts about 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 drops red food coloring, water-based
1 tablespoon grafruit zest
2 tablespoons milk

Process

1.  Begin by beating the butter until fluffy.  If your butter is too melty, it won't fluff as much as you want.  Make sure you leave your butter out about 2 hours before, but no longer.

2.  Add the rest of the ingredients as well as about a tablespoon of grapefruit juice.  Beat well until light and fluffy.  Spread on top of cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Double Dose of Cupcakes-SC#6 & #7

Tonight there is an all new Cupcake Wars on!!! And it's about the show I Love Lucy!!  I DO love Lucy!! And that show.  Can you tell?

So naturally, since I consider myself a baker and all, I made some cupcakes.  Who doesn't always crave whatever food they see while watching a show on the Food Network?  My point exactly.  So I first made Chocolate Orange Cupcakes, and then proceeded to make Warm Strawberry Cupcakes.  They were making cinnamon cupcakes on the show for one of the rounds, but there wasn't a recipe for that in Scrumptious Cupcakes so I was out of luck.  But on the bright side, I knocked out two recipes today!!  But my kitchen was full of dirty dishes!

A few notes for the Chocolate & Orange Cupcakes;

• Make sure the chocolate you use for the topping is sweetened!! Mine was not so that's why my frosting isn't as shiny as it's supposed to be.

Notes for the Warm Strawberry Cupcakes Baked in a Teacup;

• Use homemade preserves, it make a huge difference in the taste.
• You can also use ramekins instead of teacups, but use a tad more preserves in the bottom. 

Chocolate & Orange Cupcakes

makes 16

1/2 cup butter, softened

generous1/2 cup superfine sugar

finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 orange

2 eggs, lightly beaten

generous 3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 oz dark chocolate, grated

thin strips of candied orange peel, to decorate (I used freshly grated orange peel because I didn't have                 time to candy it)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two muffin tins with 16 paper liners.

Put the butter, sugar, and orange rind in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the eggs.  Sift in the flour and fold gently into the mixture with the orange juice and the grated chocolate.  Spoon into the paper liners.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until well risen and springy to the touch.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

4 oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces

2 Tbsp of unsalted butter

1 Tbsp dark corn syrup

To make the frosting, break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and add the butter and syrup.  Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until melted.  Remove from the heat and stir until smooth.  Spread over cupcakes and decorate each with a few strips of orange peel.  Let set.

Enjoy! (Like I did hehe)

Warm Strawberry Cupcakes Baked in a Teacup

makes 6

1/2 cup butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

1/4 cup strawberry preserve

generous 1/2 cup superfine sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

generous 3/4 cup self-rising flour

6 whole strawberries for decorating

confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  GRease six ovenproof dishes with butter.  Spoon 2 teaspoons of the strawberry preserve into the bottom of each teacup.

Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition, then add vanilla extract.  Sift the flour and fold into the batter.  Spoon the batter into the teacups.

Stand the cups in a roasting pan, then pour enough hot water to come up 1/3 the sides of the cups.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until well risen and springy to the touch.  If over browning, cover the cupcakes with tin foil.  Let cool for 2-3 minutes, then carefully lift from pan and place on saucers.

Top each cupcake with a strawberry, then dust with sugar and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Parragon Books Ltd.