Japanese Slipper Cupcake

                                               Japanese Slipper Cupcake

I've started recipe development and baking for my return to blogging. Sneak peak of what is going on... it's Japanese Slipper cupcakes today, orange cointreau cupcake, silky MIDORI butter cream & sugar isomalt toppers. 

The cakes themselves are hand mixed, however the swiss meringue buttercream frosting is best made with a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid. 

Orange Cointreau Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 180c (350F) line cupcake tin/s with paper liners

Makes 12 standard sized cupcakes with a moist pound cake like texture. These cakes are fairly light on with alcohol content, however do remember approxmately 45% of the alcohol content will remain after baking in the cakes and all the content in the frosting.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups plain flour (all purpose)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted & cooled

1 egg

1/2 cup plain yoghurt

1 tsp grated lemon zest

2 tsp orange zest

2 tbs cointreau 

1 tbls orange juice

Method

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

In a large bowl whisk together sugar, butter and egg until smooth. Swap to a wooden spoon and add yoghurt, zest's, liqueur and juice, beat until smooth. Add flour mix and beat until just smooth.

Spoon into your prepared cupcake pan/s.  22 to 25 standard sized until the centres are just set and spring up when lightly touched. Cool in tin for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack until completely cold. 

Midori Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe for vanilla buttercream

Ingredients

Makes about 4 1/2 cups, enough for about 14 cupcakes

1 1/4 cups sugar

5 large egg whites

2 cups (450g or 1lb) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon Midori melon liqueur 

*125g (4.5 oz) of melted white chocolate, cooled slightly 

electric green food colour or a combination of green/yellow food colour

Method
Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.
Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.
 Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add midori, and beat just until combined. Add food colouring drop by drop until desired colour of green is reached. 
Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 4 minutes. Add melted white chocolate beat for one minute or until combined.

If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. *Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes. Pipe with a round or star tip onto cooled cakes. 

* make sure melted chocolate and beaten frosting mix are approximately the same temperature, if the frosting is too cold when the chocolate is added it will partially set and not incoroporate fully.

* when you start to beat your buttercream from it's refrigerated state, the buttercream will look curdled; don't be worried it will start to incorporate as it beats further. 

I will be adding the isomalt topper instructions this week... 

Until then happy baking :)

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