Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes

How could I finish off my Memorial Day weekend without baking?

I couldn't.

In celebration of my birthday that I'm skipping over tomorrow, I made some cupcakes. Some cherry coke float cupcakes. I scoured my recipes and had a good list of 5 or so  cupcakes to choose from. All were boozy cupcakes, and right as I was narrowing it down I realized - I can't buy booze today. So back to the major list or recipes I went.

I settled on these because they sounded delicious and looked easy, and I wanted something I could whip up quick. Quick they were, but when I went to frost them, I realized a mistake I had made. They are supposed to be frosted with fresh homemade whipped cream, which would have been beyond awesome.

Did I get two things of cream today at the store when I went shopping? No. I didn't. I got one, and poured the whole thing into my clam chowder. Gah!

Good thing I can whip up a standard buttercream in a matter of minutes. But if you make these, go with the whipped cream!

 I skipped making the glaze, and added in some cherry juice to the cake batter. I should've added more though. I only filled half of the cupcakes because Dan doesn't like cherries, hence my decision to add some juice into the cake batter to add the cherry flavor in without the use of the filling.

Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes
adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker

makes 12 cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
½ cup buttermilk
¾ cup Coke (don’t use diet)
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons  maraschino cherry juice
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

For the Glaze:
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Coke

For the Icing:
1 cup heavy whipped cream
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
Maraschino Cherries, for garnish

1. To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter and beat on medium-high until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beating for an additional minute. In a large mixing cup or small bowl, combine the buttermilk, Coke and vanilla extract. (Make sure you wait for the foam to go down when measuring the Coke and don’t worry if your mixture looks curdled when you add the buttermilk.)
4. Beginning with the flour mixture, add in 4 parts to the butter mixture, alternating with the Coke mixture. Beat each addition just until incorporated. Give the final mixture a good mix with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Add in the maraschino cherry juice and mix once more.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the muffins tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Once cooled, use a paring knife to cut out a cone shape in the middle of each cupcake. Add a spoonful of cherry mixture (2 to 3 cherries) to the well.
7. Glaze: In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and coke. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. It should drip off of a soon very slowly. Using a small offset spatula, drizzle a little of the glaze onto the middle of each cupcake and then gently spread it over the top.
8. For the whipped cream: Beat the heavy whipping cream in a chilled bowl with whisk attachment (or hand mixer), beginning on low speed. Once the cream gets frothy begin adding the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, increasing speed as the cream comes together until you reach medium-high speed. Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks (if you dip a spoon in it, the whipped cream should stay on the spoon when you turn it upside down). Pipe the whipped cream onto cupcakes as desired and top with maraschino cherries for garnish.



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