Winter Frost Cupcakes

Days are getting busier and busier planning all the Christmas holidays. There is lots of excitement around my home, it is time to share food with family and friends. I'm still planning menus for special dates but in the meanwhile I had time to prepare these cupcakes. Actually the intention was to be completly white with the silver cases, but since I used a special cake recipe they have grew quite a lot. You can see below on the instructions the method is some different and this gives a very soft and light texture to the cake. Cupcakes to welcome the winter time.

INGREDIENTS makes 12
175 g cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
113 g unsalted butter at room temperature
200 g white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs ar room temperature
120 ml whole milk
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 160º and prepare the cupcake tin.

Sift the flour, the baking powder and the salt, set aside. In the mixer bowl beat the butter until soft and add 150 grams of the sugar. Beat until fluffy and light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture alternating with the milk in three aditions. 

Beat the eggs whites in a separate bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 50 grams of sugar gradually and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Add the mixture into the batter with a rubber spatula gently. Do not over mix the batter. 

Fill the cupcakes cups and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave them for 5 minutes before place them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Take note these cupcakes grow more in the oven, I would put little bit less than 2/3 of mixture in the cases.

Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking

Frosting:

300 g icing sugar

120 g unsalted butter at room temperature

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Sift the icing sugar and set aside. Cream the butter until smooth and add the sugar gradually. Add the lemon juice and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy.

I topped these cupcakes with royal icing snowflakes which are so easy to make. Draw the snowflakes on a paper and place on a baking paper, follow the draw with the royal icing, leave them at least 24 hours for dry.

Enjoy your holidays ♥