Gardens - Better Homes & Gardens Cupcakes Book

Copyright 2013 by Meredith Corporation, Des Moines, IA

All rights reserved

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, New York, New York

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.

www.hmhbooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Better homes and gardens cupcakes : more than 100 sweet and simple recipes for every occasion.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-118-29269-3 (pbk.); 978-0-544-18604-0 (ebk.)

1. Cupcakes. I. Better homes and gardens.

TX771.B525 2013

641.8653--dc23

2012015858

Meredith Corporation

Editor: Jessica Saari Christensen

Contributing Editors: Mary Williams, Spectrum Communication Services Inc.

Recipe Development and Testing: Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publisher: Natalie Chapman

Executive Editor: Anne Ficklen

Senior Editorial Assistant: Heather Dabah

Senior Production Editor: Marina Padakis Lowry

Production Director: Diana Cisek

Interior Design: Tai Blanche

Layout: Indianapolis Composition Services

Manufacturing Manager: Tom Hyland

Our seal assures you that every recipe in Cupcakes has been tested in the Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen. This means that each recipe is practical and reliable and meets our high standards of taste appeal. We guarantee your satisfaction with this book for as long as you own it.

v1.0313

Introduction

No other confection shares the cupcakes uncanny ability to warm hearts while pleasing palates. What is it about a cupcake that garners such happiness? Perhaps the teensy treat brings out our inner child. Or maybe its petite size makes it the perfect individual-size indulgence. Or possibly its that cupcakes are just so adorable.

No matter what sort of cupcake tickles your fancyclassic or trendy, playful or sophisticated, swirled, sprinkled, dipped, glazed or embellishedyoull find it here.

And youll find it along with everything you need to make your own custom cupcakesfrom go-to recipes for basic cakes, frostings, and toppings to ideas for making cupcakes the star attraction at weddings, showers, birthday parties, and holidays year around.

Think of this books contents as big ideas for little things. Let the cupcakes on these pages inspire you to scoop sweet thoughts into cupcake papers and to bake up your very own creations batch after batch after batch. Heres to making sweet somethings!

Cupcake Toolbox

Cupcake Central at your service! Heres a handy guide to basic recipes, frostings, and toppings, plus a sweet treasure trove of fantastic flavor variations. Mix and match, pick and choose, and customize your cupcakes to suit everyones taste.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Prep: 30 minutes Stand: 30 minutes Bake: 20 minutes at 350F Cool: 45 minutes

Makes: 12 (212-inch) or 48 (134-inch) cupcakes

12 cup butter

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla

112 cups all-purpose flour

112 teaspoons baking powder

14 teaspoon salt

34 cup sugar

12 teaspoon vanilla

12 cup whipping cream

Allow butter, egg, and egg yolks to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twelve 212-inch muffin cups or forty-eight 134-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. If using vanilla bean, use a small sharp knife to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean. Set seeds aside. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat on medium to high speed for 1 minute, scraping sides of bowl. Add egg, egg yolks, vanilla bean seeds (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract), and 12 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat until combined. Alternately add flour mixture and whipping cream to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined (batter will be thick).

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.

Bake about 20 minutes for 212-inch cupcakes, about 15 minutes for 134-inch cupcakes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks. Spread desired frosting onto tops of cupcakes.

Per cupcake: 224 cal., 13 g total fat (8 g sat. fat), 87 mg chol., 144 mg sodium, 25 g carb., 0 g dietary fiber, 13 g sugar, 3 g protein.

Yellow Cupcakes

Prep: 40 minutes Stand: 30 minutes Bake: 18 minutes at 350F Cool: 45 minutes

Makes: 24 to 30 (212-inch) cupcakes

34 cup butter

3 eggs

212 cups all-purpose flour

212 teaspoons baking powder

12 teaspoon salt

134 cups sugar

112 teaspoons vanilla

114 cups milk

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty-four to thirty 212-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 14 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat about 2 minutes more or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each one-half to two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks. Spread desired frosting onto tops of cupcakes.

Per cupcake: 171 cal., 7 g total fat (4 g sat. fat), 43 mg chol., 129 mg sodium, 25 g carb., 0 g dietary fiber, 15 g sugar, 3 g protein.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Prep: 40 minutes Stand: 30 minutes Bake: 18 minutes at 350F Cool: 45 minutes

Makes: 24 to 30 (212 inch) cupcakes

34 cup butter

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

34 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

34 teaspoon baking powder

12 teaspoon salt