For my 21st birthday, I was given Booze Cakes, by Krystina Castella and Terry Lee Stone (ISBN: 9781594744235). It features a fantastic selection of cakes baked with alcohols, ranging from traditionally spiked cakes (Lane Cake), to traditional cakes spiked for kicks, to traditional cocktails reinvented as cakes. I decided to make myself Mint Julep Cupcakes for my birthday this year; I happen to think mint julep is a fantastic drink. Bourbon has a sweet, almost syrupy quality that is balanced by the addition of ice and/or water. The mint makes it even more refreshing and summery. I adapted Castella and Stone's recipe a little bit to better suit my needs. My version follows:
1/2 C butter or margarine
1 C sugar
4 eggs
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 C flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp mint extract*
1 Tbsp bourbon
Begin by melting the chocolate, preheating the oven to 350˚ F, and prepping the baking pan. Put the in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it on about 50%power for 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly between intervals until all chocolate is melted. Grease and flour a 12-cup cupcake pan.
Cream together the butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy (see my 1st blog for a picture of what that should look like). Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the chocolate, flour, and extracts. Once those are well-combined, stir in the bourbon. Spoon the batter into the cupcake tins and bake about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let it cool completely.
Whipped Bourbon-Cream Frosting1 1/2 packages of cream cheese (12 oz. total)
1/2 C confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1 C heavy cream
1 tsp mint extract
1 Tbsp bourbon
Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and cream, and stir together until the sugar is mostly moist. Switch to egg beaters and mix everything to a uniform, fluffy consistency. Add in the mint extract and bourbon, and adjust to taste.
Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, slice the top and bottom halves apart. Spread the frosting between the halves and on top. I recommend using a piping bag-- it allows a thicker layer and looks prettier-- but you don't need one. Top it off with a mint leaf.
*I was unable to find mint extract at the grocery store I went to. So I improvised and made some myself. It was not the same as what you would get from the bottle, but it worked for this recipe. Basically, I made a simple syrup by boiling a quarter cup of water and dissolving the better part of 1/8th cup of sugar in it. I poured this over 2 or 3 sprigs of mint, mashed them a bit with the back of a spoon, and let it sit for about an hour or so (I went grocery shopping). It gives a nice minty flavor, and works well in drinks, too. I don't know how long it will last-- I used it up in 1 day, mostly in the recipe. Because I don't know how it compares, strength-wise, to mint extract that you purchase, I sort of tasted everything I put it in and added more as I felt was necessary.
I liked the cupcakes a lot; my roommate was a fan of them as well. They weren't too boozy; actually, I wouldn't have minded more bourbon flavor in the cupcake. The frosting I was able to adjust as I made it. The cupcakes were quite dry, but that's probably because I baked them about half an hour (double the recommended time.) I thought they looked underdone, and figured my oven must've been running cold (it was the first time I used it). After a while, I noticed they didn't look that much different, and had the bright idea to actually TEST them. (Whoa!!) Buy then, alas, they were quite dry, but fortunately not burnt.
I thought the frosting recipe yielded an awful lot-- I ended up eating about half of it on waffles. Next time I'll probably try leaving the cream cheese at a single (8 oz.) block, which I hope will give it a more whipped cream taste/texture and slightly decrease the yield.
I'll make these cupcakes again sometime, for sure.
No comments:
Post a Comment