July Cupcake of the Month: Malt Shop Cupcakes

There was a frozen yogurt shop I used to frequent on my lunch hour, and my favorite day to go was Friday because this was when they had their malt chocolate yogurt.  Mmmm… similar to Wendy’s Frosty, but a bit more chocolaty.  So when I saw a recipe in the Bel Air and Raley’s Extra Magazine for Malt Shop Cupcakes, of course I had to try it.  I am a little behind, as the recipe is in the April/May/June issue.  But really, isn’t it always cupcake season?

I loved how the actual cake turned out; light and moist.  So often cupcakes can be dry.  I think it is the combination of butter and oil in the mix that made it so great.  I couldn’t really taste the malted milk powder in the cake, but maybe it did contribute to the nice texture.

The two ingredients you may not have in your pantry are the malted milk powder and the chocolate malt balls.  The milk powder can be found in the hot drinks aisle along with the hot chocolate, and for the malt balls I recommend purchasing some of the gourmet variety (I am not a big fan of whoppers). 

I found some gourmet chocolate malt balls at the local Hallmark store, but I know Trader Joe’s also carries them, probably at a lower price.  You can also use ‘Maltesers’ which are the British version of Whoppers but ten times better, and you can buy them at World Market (sorry if I am offending any Whoppers fans out there).  In my humble opinion it’s worth the splurge.





I changed the frosting recipe ever so slightly, adding an extra tablespoon of malted milk powder and decreasing the powdered sugar to three cups.  Crushed malt balls are also folded into the frosting.  If you have a little aggression to get rid of, you can place the malt balls in a sealed bag and bash them with a rolling pin or other blunt object.  I chopped mine coarsely with a knife, first cutting them in half so they wouldn't roll around on the cutting board.  I also only used half a malt ball for decoration on each cupcake, as the gourmet variety tend to be much bigger than Whoppers.

The recipe made 24 cupcakes so I put half in the freezer for another occasion or for when I have a sugar craving.  They freeze really well and are a perfect sweet treat as they don't take long to defrost. 

These, by the way, got a big thumbs up from my son-in-law when I made them for Father’s Day.  He said the chocolate cake was one of the best he had tasted.  Oh and the magazine recommends accompanying the cupcake with a glass of red wine – preferably Cupcake Red Velvet.

Here’s the link to the full recipe:  Malt Shop Cupcakes

 

April Cupcake of the Month: Margarita Cupcakes (Gluten Free)

I made these for a friend for her birthday.  They turned out so cute!  She has a sensitivity to gluten, so I made them using gluten-free all-purpose flour from Raley’s (made by Bob’s Red Mill, in the Health Food Dept.).  I was anxious to see how they would turn out, as gluten-free baked products are often dense and heavy.

To help keep the cakes light and airy, I separated the eggs.  I added the yolks to the creamed butter and sugar, and the whites I whipped up like meringue and folded them in gently at the end.  This technique also works really well with pancakes and waffles, to help keep them light and fluffy. 

I made a few mini cupcakes for my friend to put in her freezer. 
She can thaw one in no time when she has a sweet craving!

The recipe I based these on called for a lime glaze sprinkled with coarse sugar or salt to replicate the margarita glass, but in my humble opinion that wasn’t going to be anywhere near enough frosting, so I decided to make a lime cream cheese frosting instead.  By the way, the Tequila in the cake recipe can be replaced with lime juice if you prefer.

These boxes and cupcake liners I bought at Williams-Sonoma.  Aren’t they adorable?  I Just couldn’t resist them!  The box I used holds four cupcakes, but they also have small boxes that just hold one cake.  They are available online and in the store and come in a pink toile design also.

There is even an insert to hold the cupcakes in place

Here’s the recipe:

Margarita Cupcakes

Makes about 18 cupcakes

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt, plus pinch for the egg whites

½ cup/1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon finely grated lime rind

2 tablespoons tequila

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add lime rind and tequila.  Gradually stir in dry ingredients until all of the flour is absorbed and the batter is smooth.
4. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry.  Gently fold whites into batter.
5. Fill cupcake papers a little over half full.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool.

Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

6 Tbsp butter, room temperature

6 oz cream cheese, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 tsp lime zest

2-3 teaspoon lime juice

1 tsp tequila (optional)

Green sanding sugar or edible glitter (optional)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together until they are light and fluffy.  Slowly add sugar a little at a time, and remaining ingredients.  Beat well until smooth.  Frost cupcakes as desired and sprinkle with sanding sugar or edible glitter.

 A little finely grated lime zest will work as a decoration
if you don't have sanding sugar or glitter