Hummingbird Cupcakes

 

In my ongoing experiment cooking Southern food that I have never actually eaten, hummingbird cake always sounded appealing.  Pineapple, coconut and banana.  Most have nuts added (which I don’t like to cook with, too many little kids too allergic), but this recipe from Annie’s Eats (who in turn, took it from Martha Stewart)  has it as an option only.  Looked perfect to me.

There were problems, of course. I had the pineapple (big frozen bag from Trader Joe’s), but came up short on the bananas (about 1 less than the 1 1/3 cp required) and my coconut was looking a little sad. But there was that big jar of coconut oil I had just purchased. Threw in 2 tablespoons or so (and then left everything to drain. I always drain and press fruit for my recipes well, it's hard to control the additional liquid).

Made everything else according to the recipe, with only a FEW tweaks:

1  Room temperature. Lots of recipes call for room temperature butter. I am going to tell you to get your eggs room temperature too. Better rise. Let them sit out a little, or put them in a glass of lukewarm water. Don't use them icy from the fridge. 

2.  You can beat your eggs and butter and sugar into Kitchen Aid oblivion, but once you add flour the party is over.  Flour + liquid + force = chewy.  Which is great for bread, but lousy for anything sweet.  And I don't trust the mixer anymore on low because my phone rings, or something explodes, and then...it's gone.

 

 

There, that's the color.  Decent rise.  Could have gotten a higher yield if I had that extra banana, but no matter....

We have frosting to make.

Here's that room temperature thing again.  I cut things into little pieces and leave them out.  They get to the right temp pretty quick.  DO NOT microwave anything, DO NOT let it get melty in the sun.  I can't tell you why that doesn't work, but it certainly does not work. You will have lumps of confectioner's sugar in an oily pool.

The website recipe seems fine for cream cheese frosting.  I've made frosting so many times, I just eyeball it.  One block CC, one stick butter, tsp vanilla, about a 1 lb of powdered sugar -- beat that until it's frosting and add a tbsp of milk at a time until it's pipeable.

Since this cake is so fruity, I thought I'd add a little extra something to the frosting....

 

If you are lucky enough to live near a Middle Eastern food importer, get right over there and you pick up marvelous things like this for a couple bucks.  This is orange blossom water, pomegranate molasses, orange oil and rose water.  I decided to go with the orange water.  I mean, you can go to Williams Sonoma but they will charge you $50 and be total jerks about the whole thing. 

 

 

 

And here we are. I liked the cake very much, the pineapple really came through and tastes springy and fresh. Didn't really taste the coconut oil but I will assume that made up for the moistness of our missing banana. I think the next time I will sub out half the white sugar for Demarra Cane sugar (again, at Williams Sonoma for $50 or your local Guyanese grocer for $4, who is waiting for you with open arms) and increase the cinammon to 1 tsp.

 

 

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

My first successful attempt at super-fancy cupcakes were these Dulce de Leche cupcakes.  It wasn't my recipe, no -- I happened to find it on a website called Sydney's Kitchen.  Which is no longer operating. 

But it's still a great recipe, I just wish I could credit it.  But to save it for posterity, here it is:

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
(Sydney, I'm sorry I can't credit you better for these)

These are the cupcakes that schooled me in the art of hand mixing.  Don't overmix these.  Once the liquid and flour stuff come together, I mix as gently as possible.  Otherwise they turn into muffins.


For the Cupcakes

3 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup buttermilk

To Prepare thecupcakes

1. Place the oven racks in thecenter and upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 F.  Line two cupcakepans with paper or foil liners.  Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixerfitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugars.  Beat on mediumspeed until fluffy and pale brown, about 3 minutes.

3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and addone egg.  Beat on medium speed for one minute.  Add the remainingeggs, one at a time, beating for one minute between each addition.  Beatin vanilla.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour,baking powder and baking soda.  Add half of the flour mixture to the eggand butter mixture.  Beat on low speed HAND MIX WITH GREAT CARE TOGETHER and slowly drizzle in thebuttermilk .  Beat until just incorporated.

5. Scrape down the bowl and add the remainingdry ingredients.  Beat on low speed FOLD TOGETHER until just incorporated.  Try not to over mix the mixture.

Divide the batter between theprepared cupcake pans, filling each liner about two thirds full.  Bake for18 to 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of one of thecakes comes out clean.  Allow to cool slightly  in the cupcake pansbefore removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cupcakes should becompletely cooled before frosting.

For the Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 oz. (1 package) cream cheese,softened
3/4 cup dulce de leche, plus morefor drizzling
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

To Prepare theFrosting

6. Place cream cheese in the bowl of anelectric stand mixer.  Beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds, untilvery soft and pliable.

7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and addthe butter and dulce de leche.  Beat on medium speed until wellincorporated.

8. Stop the mixer and add the salt andpowdered sugar.  Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffyand lighter in color.  Generously spoon frosting on top of cupcakes, oruse a large 1 M Wiltonstar tip to pipe on frosting.

To finish the cupcakes, heat afew spoonfuls of dulce de leche in a small pot over low heat until justpourable.  Drizzle it over the cupcakes and top with a fewsprinkles.  You could add a few sprinkles of fine sea salt if you’refeeling fancy.