Candy Cane Cupcakes with an Amazing Candy Cane Buttercream

• Refrigerated

  • 1 Egg, large
  • 2 Egg whites

• Baking & Spices

  • 100 g All-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp Baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp Baking soda
  • 80 g Dutch processed cocoa, powder
  • 275 g Granulated sugar
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 60 ml Sunflower oil

• Drinks

  • 1/2 tsp Instant coffee granules

• Dairy

  • 120 g Butter, unsalted
  • 130 ml Buttermilk

• Desserts

  • 130 g Candy canes
  • 1 Candy canes to decorate

• Liquids

  • 165 ml Water

• Other

  • 120g (or ½ cup + 2 teaspoons, packed light brown sugar

Found on thetoughcookie.com

Description

Ingredients

• 120ml (or ½ cup) boiling water
• ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 145g (or ⅔ cup + 2½ teaspoons) granulated sugar
• 120g (or ½ cup + 2 teaspoons, packed) light brown sugar
• 130ml (or ½ cup + 2 teaspoons) buttermilk
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60ml (or ¼ cup) sunflower oil (or canola oil)
• 1 large egg
• 100g (or ¾ cup + 2½ teaspoons) all-purpose flour
• 80g (or ½ cup + 3 tablespoons) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 130g (or ½ cup + 2½ tablespoons) granulated sugar
• 130g (or 4.5 ounces) candy canes, about 12 medium-sized candy canes*
• 45ml (or 3 tablespoons) water
• 2 egg whites
• 120g (or ½ cup + 1½ teaspoons) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
• crushed candy canes to decorate

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F (standard oven setting) and line a 12-cup muffin pan (or 2 6-cup muffin pans) with cupcake liners. This recipe will make 10-12 cupcakes.
• In a small heatproof bowl, combine the coffee and boiling water. Stir to dissolve the coffee. Add the granulated sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Adding the sugar will also cool the coffee. Add the brown sugar and stir to incorporate. The brown sugar wont dissolve completely, but thats fine. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg and oil until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. It will kind of look like mayonnaise. Whisk the wet ingredients (the coffee mixture) into the egg mixture until the mixture looks smooth.
• In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Divide the batter over the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full with batter. Place on a wire rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, candy canes and water. Place over low heat, stirring with a metal spoon until the sugar and candy canes have completely dissolved. Stop stirring and crank the heat up to medium-high. Allow the mixture to come to a boil.
• n the meantime, add the egg whites to a medium-sized, heatproof bowl and mix (with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) until foamy and the whites are almost able to hold soft peaks.
• Once the syrup is boiling, clip on a candy (or sugar) thermometer.
• Cook until the syrup reaches 116°C/240°F, then take the pan off the heat and slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the bowl with the foamy egg whites, mixing continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Dont pour the syrup onto the whisk, or the syrup may splatter against the sides of the bowl (or into your face!). Instead, aim for a spot close to the whisk.
• Once all the syrup has been added, keep mixing until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue has completely cooled.
• Once the meringue feels cool, you can start adding the butter one cube at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once youve added all the butter, the mixture may start to look as if its separating. Dont panic! Just keep mixing and whipping and the buttercream will magically come together and become smooth and gorgeous.
• Once the buttercream is smooth and fluffy, make sure the cupcakes have completely cooled. If the cupcakes are even a tad warm, the buttercream will melt! Frost the cupcakes any way you like. I used a large closed star tip and a piping bag (duh!).
• Cupcakes are best served the day you make them (in which case you can keep them at room temperature), but they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the cupcakes have been stored in the fridge, allow to come to room temperature before serving (this takes about 1 hours in a warm kitchen).
• Decorate with a sprinkle of crushed candy canes just before serving.