Untitled Document
I’d like to give vegan cookbook author Isa
Chandra Moskowitz a big high-five for the title of her latest book, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Although I admire her spunk and tenacity for giving
vegan baked goods a respectable crumb, it’s the “cupcakes
taking over the world” part of the title that resonates. I can see
the headlines: “Cupcake Prez Installs New Bakery in White House;
Plans for Cupcake World Peace Day Imminent.”
Saving the world with cupcakes — is it really
such a crazy idea? Is it any more preposterous than the war on terror? Recently I set out to test my theory that cupcakes
could make the world a little brighter (and tastier), if not safer. I baked
a batch of lemon cupcakes, topped them with a milk-chocolate frosting,
admiring their glistening tops that looked like just-coiffed beehive
hairdos. If just looking at these beauties made me smile, I speculated, my
fellow citizens would respond similarly, particularly if they were
hand-delivered for immediate consumption. And that’s what I did. I got in the car and
delivered cupcakes, one by one, with the hope that with each crumb the
world would be a sweeter, more tender place. And for a few hours, it was.
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
Lemon Cupcakes with Milk-Chocolate Frosting Adapted from Perfect
Light Desserts by Nick Malgieri and David
Joachim
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups cake flour (I used pastry flour) 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (at least one lemon’s worth) 1 teaspoon lemon extract (also sold as lemon oil) Four large egg whites 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk Oil spray
Frosting
6 ounces premium milk chocolate, cut into quarter-inch pieces 1/2 cup sour cream (I substituted plain yogurt with great success)
Tools
Cupcake pan with six or 12 cups and paper liners
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour,
baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on
medium speed until well mixed, about two minutes. Beat in lemon zest and
extract. Thoroughly whisk egg whites and buttermilk together. Alternate flour mixture and liquid, starting with
one-third of the flour mixture, and incorporate it into the creamed butter.
Add half of the liquid, followed by another third of the flour mix, and so
on, finishing with the flour mix. Beat batter on low-medium speed for about
three minutes. Grease pan with oil spray and liners. Evenly divide
batter among cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until well-risen and a
toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a rack for five minutes, then remove
and allow to cool completely. In the meantime, prepare the frosting. Add a few
inches of water in a small saucepan and cover it with a heatproof bowl that
sits snugly on top. Place the chocolate in the bowl and melt it over low
heat.
Cool until the chocolate is about 105 degrees. Whisk the sour cream or yogurt into the cool
chocolate. With a small metal spatula or wide-bladed table knife, spread a
thin layer of frosting on each cupcake. Makes about 18 cupcakes.
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 6, 2007.
