Almond Raspberry Cupcakes

adapted from Smitten Kitten, but suggested by my dear cake friend Cece

Friday AM via phone
Auntie: Morning Baby--
Noeybakes: Morning Auntie!
Auntie: Can you make a birthday cake?
Noeybakes: Sure, how come my mom didn't tell me?
Auntie: She must be really busy.
Noeybakes: Oh Ok! No problem!

Friday PM via text
Mamacita: Pik up cake frm snflr aldry pd 4
Noeybakes: ummm what? Auntie already asked me to make a cake and I've already gone shopping for the ingredients.
Mamacita: Oh well it's alrdy pd 4. Don't bake anymore.

SHEESH. And btw i love how my mom texts. It's like she's tweeting sorta with all the abbreviations. It's quite hilarious. My cousins can relate hehe.

ANYWHO, I was suppose to make my cousin Jeremy cupcakes as form of payment for always picking me up from the airport. I intended to make chocolate or something simple but I figured why let the ingredients go to waste. So I made the almond cake into almond cupcakes.

I halved all the ingredients in the recipe because I only wanted to make about a dozen and it would have made about 2+ dozen cupcakes.

Well except the almond paste because I wasn't paying attention and put the entire tube in. Ok well I was a little excited because I've never baked with almond paste before. Oh and the whipped frosting too because it was 3am and I was ready to sleep.

Almond Rasberry Cupcakes
Makes about 1-2 dozen cupcakes depending on the size

2.25 4 1/2 cups cake flour
2.25 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
0.5 3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup prepared almond paste (7 ounces)
1 1/3 2 2/3 cups sugar
1.25 2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
0.5 1 tablespoon almond extract
5 10 egg whites
0.75 1 1/2 cups whole milk

For assembly:
0.5 1 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Frosting ideas: Whipped Bittersweet Frosting (recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.

3. Place the almond paste and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in another large bowl if using a handheld mixer. Begin to cream the mixture on low speed to break up the almond paste, then increase the speed to medium for about 2 minutes, or until the paste is broken into fine particles.

4. Add the butter and almond extract and beat it well, then the egg whites, two or three at a time, beating just long enough to incoperate after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times to make sure it is evenly mixed.

5. Dust about a third of the dry ingredients over the batter and fold in with a large rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in about half the milk. Fold in half the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk. Finally, fold in the last of the dry ingredients just until no streaks of white remain. Use a light hand and do not overmix. Divide the batter among the three prepared cake pans.

6. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool on wire racks. Meanwhile proceed to step 7.

7. Making whipped frosting because it has to cool while cupcakes cool.

8. Use a any piping tip, fill bag with raspberry preserve. Stab cupcakes to fill centers.

9. Once cupcakes cooled and frosting is made, frost cupcakes.

Whipped Bittersweet Frosting

Makes about 3 cups, or enough to coat a three layer 8- or 9-inch cake. You’ll want 1 1/2 this amount if you’re using it for filling as well.

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Melt the chocolate with the cream in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk to blend well. Remove from heat and let stand, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise. (No doubt, exactly what you want to think about when making chocolate frosting).

2. Place the butter in a large mixer bowl and with an electric mixer on medium speed, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add the chocolate cream and whip until lighter in color and somewhat stiff, about three minutes. Do not whip too long or the frosting may begin to separate.

Enjoy!
Noeybakes