Coconut Pandan Chiffon Cupcakes with Coconut Milk Buttercream Frosting

MAKES 36 CUPCAKES OR 60 MINI CUPCAKES

COCONUT MILK PANDAN CHIFFON CUPCAKES

This was my 2nd experiment for the Cupcake Round-Up initiated by Chocylit of Cupcake Bakeshop and Garrent of Vanilla-Garlic. I am also using local ingredients, just to try something different for a cupcake. Instead of the butter cupcake, I decided to try the no butter, all egg chiffon. Thus, my first time trying this recipe as a cupcake. I have not mastered the skill...of baking. Perhaps, Chiffon will rise and hold better directly against the baking tin and not against the paper cups. The cake shrunk in size when cooled. Nevertheless, the taste is interesting. I would try this with a more finer, delicate and slightly less sweet frosting like whipped cream with a bit of sugar for chiffon instead of coconut buttercream frosting. As I was in a hurry, I used boxed santan ie. coconut milk. Tasted equally as nice.

150 g cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 egg yolks
2 1/4 cup (300ml) coconut milk
2 tablespoon essence
Green food coloring (optional)
160 g castor sugar
1/2 teaspoon pandan essence
9 egg whites
1 tablespoon castor sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pre heat the oven to 160C/350F. Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan, add the castor sugar and pandan juice. Bring to a boil, stirring slowly to disslove the sugar. set aside to cool. Sieve the cake flour, baking powder and salt. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, coconut mixture, pandan juice, color to liking and pandan essence. Whisk lightly, then add the flour to the egg yolk mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth. Set aside. Whisk the egg whites lightly and add in the cream of tartar and castor sugar. Continue to whisk until the mixture is stiff. Do not overbeat or allow the mixture to become dry. Set aside. Gently fold half the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and blend well. Fold in the remaining egg whites and work very lightly with a spatula. Make sure the mixture is well mixed. Pipe or scoop into the cupcake tin lined with cupcake papers. Level and bake in the oven until golden brown (about 25 minutes). Remove the cake from the oven. Allow it to cool completely before piping it with Coconut Buttercream Frosting.

Coconut Milk Buttercream Frosting
1 cup butter
2-4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup milk (subtituting this with 1 cup of simmered and cooled coconut milk)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place butter, 2 cups icing sugar, ½ cup of milk and the vanilla extract in a free-standing mixer (or you can beat it by hand) and beat on medium-low speed. Add the rest of the icing sugar until you reach a desired consistency. Divide into separate bowls for your choice of colors. Decorate as you like by piping or spreading onto the cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

MAKES 24 CUPCAKES OR 48 MINI CUPCAKES
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4 oz (125g) unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup hot water
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour

Preheat the over to 350F. Line baking tins with baking paper. Place the chocolate, butter, and boiling water in a medium, heatproof bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water. When the mix is just melted, whisk in the sugar. Let cool to lukewarm temperature, about 10 minutes. Whisk the eggs into the mixture. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, salt, and baking soda whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour until evenly combined. Fill each baking paper two-thirds full. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Vanilla Cupcakes

MAKES 42 CUPCAKES OR 84 MINI CUPCAKES


I tried this recipe by Sara Neumeier and the result was cupcakes with texture like pancakes! I now know I prefer the traditional method of making cake ie. beating the butter and sugar, add in the eggs, then flour alternating with liquid. I find the method advised in the original recipe of One Bowl Vanilla to be a suspect mainly because I have not tried it before and after trying; I was little bit dissapointed. Otherwise, I would keep this recipe which when used using the 'traditional' method, to be a dense-fine textured cupcakes. :)

1.5 cups unsalted butter
1.5 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1.25 cups milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon baking powder
0.5 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350.F. Line cupcake tins with baking papers. Place the butter in a medium heatproof bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water. When the butter is melted, whisk in the sugar. Let cool to lukewarm temperature, about 4 minutes. Whisk the eggs into the mixture. Add milk, vanilla, baking powder and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour until evenly combined. Fill each baking paper two third full. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

REVISED METHOD - 'TRADITIONAL' METHOD: Preheat the oven to 350.F. Line cupcake tins with baking papers. Beat butter till soft and add sugar. Beat till mixture is light and creamy. Scrape side of the bowl. Add in the egg one at a time, beating well after each addition. About 30 seconds in between. Add the vanilla, mix well. Mix in 1/3 of flour till it is evenly combined, then mix in 1/3 of the milk till combined. Continue alternating flour and milk mix ending with mixing the flour into the mixture. Fill each baking paper two third full. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.

Faux Buttermilk

A lot of recipes that I am posting calls the use buttermilk. Buttermilk is used in baking because its acidity. It acts with the leavening agent to give your cake a certain texture. If you are caught without any buttermilk, like most of us usually are - as it's not easy to find buttemilk at our grocery store, you can make it easily by using this recipe:

1 cup milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice or cream of tartar.

Mix the two ingredients and let it stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes. The milk will thicken slightly and that will gives you the faux buttermilk. Using cream of tartar instead of the two liquid will work as well and this will not be quite as acidic.