Bird's Nest Cupcakes for Spring

I've been on a cupcake kick lately. So on a lazy Saturday this month, I spent most of the afternoon frosting cupcakes. These are lemon flavored, but really any white cake and frosting would work. The fun part here is really the decoration.



Lemon Cupcakes:

2 ¼ c. cake flour
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt
1 ¼ c. whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 ½ c. sugar
2 t. grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temp.
½ t. pure lemon extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and line 22 muffin cups with cupcake papers.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Whisk together the milk and the eggs whites in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes. Beat in extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, then add half of the eggs whites and milk, alternating until all added. Then give the batter a good 2 minutes of beating, and divide among the cupcake papers. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.


Lemon Meringue Frosting:

½ c. sugar
2 large egg whites
1 ½ sticks butter (6 tablespoons), at room temp.
2 T. fresh lemon juice
½ t. pure vanilla extract

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
44 jordan almonds

Put the sugar and the egg whites in a double boiler, and place over medium heat. Whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. It should look like glossy marshmallow cream.

Transfer to a mixer, and beat on high speed with a whisk attachment until cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to a paddle attachment and then add butter in pieces until fully incorporated. Then bean 6 to 10 minutes until very smooth. On medium speed beat in lemon juice and the vanilla extract. Place a piece of saran wrap over the frosting until ready to use.

Toast the coconut on a baking sheet in a 300 degree oven until lightly brown, about 8 minutes. Use a folk to stir the coconut every few minutes to get an even toasting. Let cool completely before using.


To Decorate:

Spread a generous amount of frosting on the cupcakes, mounding it higher around the edge. Press toasted coconut into the soft frosting, completely coating it. Place a couple Jordan almonds into the depression in the center.

and...

Pecan Praline Cupcakes
In February I made these cupcakes for my sister-in-law's birthday. I used a white cake recipe, topped them with a melted brown sugar icing, and candied pecans.