Cinnamon Cardamom Cupcakes with Pineapple Curd and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I have recently discovered that the base recipe I used for this cake is so very versatile! Want coconut cake, use coconut milk instead of cream and coconut extract instead of vanilla. Want strawberry cake, use 1/2 cup pureed strawberries for part of the cream. It's lovely. I'm constantly thinking of how else I can play with this recipe to come up with something new. 

This version was created specifically to accentuate the Pineapple Curd I've been raving about lately. Have you ever tried it? No? Well, you should. It is rich and decadent and flavorful and... amazing. My mouth waters just thinking about it. I searched the wonderful web to determine flavors that work well with pineapple, and when I saw cinnamon and cardamom in one list, I remembered my Cardamom Cinnamon Cookies and thought this would be a delicious combination. I was right! It's not an overly sweet cake by itself, but paired with the curd and a lucious cinnamon cream cheese frosting, these become decadent. 

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature 

6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt 

4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cardamom
12 Tbsps unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool 

Pineapple Curd (cooled and set)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or stand mixer combine the dry ingredients: cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.

On low speed, mix the dry ingredients until they are fully incorporated.

While that is incorporating, prepare the wet ingredients. I use a 2-cup measuring cup, but use what you feel comfortable with. Measure out the cream then using a fork mix in the egg whites. Add the vanilla and stir once more.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients in small pats.

Using the paddle attachment on low speed, combine until the mixture resembles small moist crumbs with no powdery streaks remaining.

Slowly drizzle in all but 1/2 cup of milk/egg mixture to crumbs with the mixer on low speed. Once added, raise speed to and medium (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1 1/2 minutes.

Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer. 

Portion cupcakes into muffin tins using an ice cream scoop. Bake 12-18 minutes until set (a toothpick inserted comes out clean).

Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn out of the pan, and allow to finish cooling. Once cooled, use a cupcake corer to create a well for the pineapple curd. Using a regular-sized teaspoon, spoon the curd into the cupcakes using the back of the spoon to smooth the top.

8 oz cream cheese, softened

8 oz unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks or 1 cup)

4 cups powdered sugar

1-2 tsp vanilla

1/2-1 tsp cinnamon (to taste)

A couple tablespoons of heavy cream to thin frosting if needed

Once you've finished filling the cupcakes with curd, prepare the frosting. Use the paddle attachment to cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar until combined. Add vanilla and cinnamon. If you need a little cream to thin it, add it at this point, but go slowly - you don't want to make it runny.

Frost the cupcakes, and enjoy!!!

Pineapple Curd

 

Have you ever tried pineapple curd? What's a curd is probably your first thought. A curd is a custard made with juice (and sometimes zest), butter, sugar and eggs (and also sometimes gelatin) and used as a spread or filling in desserts. Now, to the pineapple. I'm weird, and I know it... I like many flavors of fruit, but I have textural issues and don't eat many different fruits. Pineapple is one of these fruits. So, when I saw this recipe for pineapple curd made with pineapple juice, I really wanted to try it. Oh my goodness, it is delicious! Rich, creamy, bold pineapple flavor. It is amazing. I've used it in two different cupcakes - recipes coming soon, and I've also used it in this mousse bomb pictured above... It's difficult to describe just how amazing these were. Just so you know what you missed, the center is the pineapple curd, the next layer was a caramel mousse, I covered the bombs with white chocolate and set it all on a sliver of vanilla poundcake. The curd added a wonderful depth of flavor in all the desserts I've used it in. You need to give this curd a try!

1 cup pineapple juice (the small can is a perfect 8 ounces)
1 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tbsps lemon juice
3 eggs, 2 egg yolks
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (4 ounces or one stick)
pinch of salt
1 tsp gelatin and 1 Tbsp cold water (optional)

Separate the eggs, cut the butter into small pieces, juice the lemon, and measure out the gelatin and water if using it.

In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the pineapple juice on medium-high heat until it is reduced to 1/4 cup of liquid. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice, and whisk until combined. 

Add the eggs whisking constantly and vigorously. 

Put back on medium-low to medium heat and begin adding the butter one pat at a time. Whisk constantly and keep the heat lower than medium so that the curd heats slowly and you don't cook the eggs. Wait until the piece is almost melted before adding the next pat.

Once you've added all of the butter, sprinkle the gelatin on the water if you're using it to allow it time to bloom. If you want to have a little firmer texture to your curd, it's very helpful. If you will just keep it in a jar and spread on whatever you want, then you probably don't need it.

Keep whisking the curd until it thickens. It should resemble a warmed pudding texture. It should stick to your whisk when you lift it out of the pot. Remove from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until it's completely dissolved.

This next step is very important to ensure you have a silky smooth and delicious curd - you have to strain it. I use a sieve and a spatula to strain mine.

Cover the curd with plastic ensuring the entire surface is touching plastic. Allow to cool on the counter an hour or so, and then get it into the fridge the finish cooling and setting up.

Now you can use this deliciousness however your heart desires! It is delicious is strawberry cupcakes, coconut cupcakes and even cinnamon and cardamom cupcakes! Please let me know if you try it!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Have you ever heard of or had caramel cream cheese frosting? No? You don't know what you're missing. Everyone should have this in their life. Every... one... and often. This little creation is very likely one of my best, and I'd bet money that if you like coffee flavor, carmel, pecans and chocolate, then you will LOVE this cupcake. One of my coworkers said it was the best cupcake he'd ever had, while another said that if I was ever able to enter a cupcake contest, then I needed to enter this one!

Back in October on our anniversary trip, my husband and I visited a number of small-batch distilleries in Tennessee and Kentucky. It was a fun trip. We got to sample many different types of alcohol and see how these small distilleries created their concoctions. We found several we enjoyed and purchased them for our collection. One of those gems we found was a liqueur from Nelson's Greenbrier Distillery in Nashville. It's called Louisa's and it has a coffee, caramel and pecan flavor. And it is amazing. I've used it in brownies; I made a frosting with it - which came out delicious; and then I decided to make a treat around those flavors so I could use it again. What you will read is the result! Fluffy, moist flavorful chocolate cake baked with Louisa's liqueur and caramel cream cheese frosting topped with toasted pecans. The only thing I may try to add next time is a little drizzle of caramel sauce. I bet it will look beautiful and taste amazing!

Cake

2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder 
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp instant espresso
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup oil (vegetable works fine, but I use olive)
1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup Nelson's Greenbrier Distillery's Louisa's liqueur
1/4 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin tins with liners. If you want to make this a cake, grease and flour two or three 9-inch round pans depending on how many layers you want, and then place parchment paper in the bottom of your pans. 

To make the best cake you can, unless you want this in your cake batter:

You must sift the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, espresso and salt, together into the bowl of your stand mixer.

In a separate container, a glass bowl or large measuring cup, mix the oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla, and whisk to combine.

Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed. Then increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes.

Combine the 1/4 cup boiled water and the 1/2 cup of Louisa's liqueur in a container. I use the same container as my wet ingredients to wash out any of the oil or buttermilk left. 

Scrape sides of the mixer and then slowly pour in the water/Louisa's with the mixer on low speed. Increase speed to medium for 20 seconds, and then increase to medium-high for 40 seconds to add some more air to the batter.

Use an ice cream scoop to portion the batter into 24 muffin tins.

Bake 14-18 mins until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the inside cupcakes come out clean.

Frosting

8 oz. softened cream cheese (full fat version)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

2 tsp pure vanilla bean paste

1/4 tsp salt

6 cups powdered sugar

1-1 1/2 cup toasted diced pecans

While the cupcakes are baking, put the diced pecans in a medium-sized skillet and toast over medium heat until slightly darkened and fragrant. Stir them often to avoid burning them.

Cream the butter and cream cheese in your stand mixer with the whisk attachment until smooth.

Add caramel topping and vanilla and whisk until combined and smooth.

Add powdered sugar and salt and whisk on medium speed until combined, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Once combined, turn the speed up to high and whisk for a minute or so until fluffy. Don't overmix or you could make the cream cheese runny. If you want to up the decadence of these cupcakes, core them out and add some of the frosting in the center before frosting the cupcakes.

Then, frost the cupcakes. You can go old school and use a knife, or use a disposable bag and a tip for a beautiful frosting mound that looks professional. Then dip the top of each cupcake lightly into the toasted pecans. The pecans, in addition to the wonderful flavor they impart, help to keep the cupcakes from being too sweet - I mean, caramel cream cheese frosting. Come on! Then enjoy and share these with those you love. They will be very grateful.