This particular cupcake has a vanilla and poppy seed batter and is filled with lemon curd. On top is a white chocolate ganache with poppy seeds. The cupcake was an experiment in the use of cornstarch in a baked good. It does give the cake part a unique texture, however, I found that you need to be exacting in certain areas or you will not attain the proper texture.
The lemon curd filling as well as the icing is what makes these extra special. The white chocolate and the filling do add some extra notes of flavor as well as sweetness. The cupcake by itself is not very sweet at all.
I am still working on my white chocolate topping recipe, so I have provided you with another recipe that was not used when I made these. That recipe may not be the same consistency, so your cupcakes may not look like the above when completed. However, it does have the same flavor. This particular recipe yields about 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes.
As a side note, I am behind in thanking my blogger friends for bestowing me with some awards. Based on that, I will make note of two every Wednesday in my blog until I am done.
The Versatile Blogger Award was given to me by:
Mary Kay at Just For Cooking- While some of us are blogging hoping to get discovered, this person came to the blogging world after already having her recipes published. In reviewing her blog, I noticed that she does explore various cuisines, but has the most filed under "comfort food". After finding such gems as Chicken Paprikash and Cuban style Surf and Turf, I would say dinner at her table would make for a delicious evening.
Missy at Mrs Maki Cooks- this girl is one busy bee. As a catering director and hosting a food talk radio show, she still manages to find time to share her talent by food blogging. She started blogging in October of 2011. The blog has recipes that are great go to dishes for the every day cook or baker. Pumpkin spice cookies and simple healthy fried rice are a few winners I found. Also her writing style does convey her warm friendly personality.
If you have not heard of these two, then it is time to hook up-so pop on over and introduce yourself. Also, thanks again you two for passing along the awards to me.
Now, on to the recipe....
Ivory Castle Cakes
by Flourtrader
Ingredients/Cake
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/2 tsp ground vanilla beans (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 tbs baking powder
1 cup cornstarch
2 1/3 cups cake flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 tsp oil
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
11 oz jar of lemon curd (I purchased but you can make your own)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease top edge cavities of muffin tins and line with cupcake papers.
Sift together cornstarch, flour, salt, baking powder and ground vanilla beans (if using). Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, preferably from a stand mixer, add butter,sugar and oil. Beat for 5 minutes at medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally during the beating process.
Then add one egg and beat for 30 seconds. Continue this process until all the eggs are beaten into the batter. Then, if using, stir in the vanilla extract.
Add 1/3 of the sifted ingredients and fold into the batter. Pour in 1/4 cup of milk and stir until all is blended. Then fold in 2 tbs of poppy seeds. Repeat this whole process of adding and stirring, ending with the last 1/3 of the sifted ingredients.
Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, fill each of the liners 2/3 full with the batter. Then dampen your fingertips and smooth the top of the batter in each cavity. Place in oven and bake until tester comes out clean, about 10-15 minutes. Remove pan and let rest for 1 minute, then transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before filling and frosting.
Ingredients/White Chocolate Ganache (makes 1 cup)
by Dorie Greenspan
2/3 cup of heavy cream
10 oz premium white chocolate (finely chopped)
1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter, cubed
poppy seeds for sprinkling on top(optional)
Place the white chocolate in a large, heatproof bowl. Then take a saucepan and fill it with cream and bring it to a boil. Remove and pour over the white chocolate. Let sit for about 30 seconds and then whisk together. Whisk from the center in small circles, slowing moving your way to the outer edge. Once all is smooth, add one cube of butter and stir until melted and blended. Follow that same process with all the cubes.
Then let the ganache sit until it reaches the consistency you want. You can speed up the process by placing it in the fridge, but check often so it does not get too thick.
To assemble, take a ziplock bag and cut off a small piece of the corner. Set aside. Using a paring knife or a cupcake corer, cut a small circular piece from the center out of each cupcake. Then you will have a small cone. Cut off the top slice and reserve it keeping it by the proper cupcake.
Take the ziplock bag and fill with the lemon curd. Holding bag over the cupcake hole, squeeze until hole is filled. Then place the reserved cap over the hole. Continue with this process for each
cupcake until all are filled and capped.
Then frost as desired with white chocolate ganache. Also, if you prefer you can sprinkle a stripe of poppy seeds down the center.
Helpful tips:
-do not pack the cornstarch when measuring, use a soup spoon to scoop and fill the one cup cavity
-do not over bake, cupcakes should not have brown edges but edges should be the same hue as the rest of the cupcake when done
-Fold dry ingredients into batter lightly.
-do not use white chocolate chips in ganache, the recipe requires good quality bar chocolate to work per Dorie.
**LAST YEAR: Blueberry Hand Pies***
