Baking a little Cupcake

I was in a serendipitous mood the other day and made some sweet cupcakes. Not sweet with sugar but a sweet looking and very little girly cupcake. I had fun. I baked the cupcakes about a minute and a half longer to caramelize the tops just a wee bit more. The caramelizing added so much to the taste and I loved the little crunch as you took your first bite! Even though I baked the cupcake a minute or so longer, it was still light and moist and delicious from the first bite to the last!

I am extremely picky about the baking times for my cupcakes. One minute too long and a cupcake can become dried out and yucky. And if don't take the cupcakes out of the tin immediately, the radiant heat continues the baking process and the cupcake will be over baked and yucky. Dry, over baked and yucky is very bad for a cupcake, especially one of my cupcakes. Every time I bake I feel as if I'm experimenting. It could be a different recipe, a new chocolate, a new baking cup or maybe it's 80% humidity outside. Whatever it is it, it effects the baking process and the end result.

Since we remodeled our home and I now have multiple ovens to work with and I've noticed that my ovens are unique and have their own personalities and idiosycracies. I have a Duel Fuel Wolf Range (picture on blog header) with 2 convection/thermal ovens, a GE convection electric built-in oven and an Advantium. I can use exactly the same recipe in the same pan, bake on the same day and each oven will produce a slightly different cupcake.



I never and I mean never follow the recommended baking times in recipes. I bake according to how the cupcake looks and feels and of course I test with my trusty broom straw! Which means I can not leave my kitchen for very long when I've got something in the oven.


I'm still learning the ins and outs of my ovens. But I'm discovering I'm using my thermal ovens much more these days. Convection is great for some things like chicken or beef. But when you're baking and striving for a perfect rise, there's nothing better then good ol' thermal heat.






Just Plain Good Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from "Small Batch Baking" by Debby Maugans Nakos

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Yolk of 1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 5 muffin cups with baking cups and set aside.

Combine the buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add egg yolk and vanilla and again whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix. Add the butter and half of the buttermilk mixture. Beat with a hand-held mixer on low speed until the dry ingredients are blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is slightly increased in volume, about 45 seconds, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in the remaining buttermilk mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended, 20 seconds. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl


Spoon the batter evenly into the 5 baking cups. Put a little bit of water in the rest of the empty cups in your Cupcake Tin to prevent the cupcakes from scorching. Bake the cupcakes until a tester comes out clean, about 20 to 23 minutes.

Remove from the oven and as soon as you can remove the cupcakes from the pan and let them thoroughly cool on a cooling rack.

NOTE: I doubled the recipe and made 10 cupcakes.


I am entering my Little Girl Cupcakes in Pink Saturday graciously hosted by Miss Beverly of How Sweet the Sound.







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