Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro
White Linen Cupcakes are a light combination of Mascarpone Frosting and white chocolate curls over a tender cupcake. Perfect for a tea, party, or shower, they're delicate and delicious. Serve them with an ice-cold glass of milk.
How to Make It
Step 1
To prepare Vanilla Bean Cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2
Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Step 3
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla bean paste.
Step 4
Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling about two-thirds full.
Step 5
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Makes 24 cupcakes.
Step 6
To prepare frosting, beat cream at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl at medium speed with mixer until blended. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until blended. Makes 3 cups. Frost each cupcake. Top each generously with white chocolate curls.
Chef's Notes
Chocolate curls make quite an impressive topping. At Dreamcakes Bakery, they recommend using a good quality milk chocolate or white chocolate bar without nuts or fillings. Soften it very slightly in the microwave about 10 seconds on HIGH; microwave again an extra 5 seconds at at time; if needed. Pull a sharp vegetable peeler along narrow end of bar, letting curls fall onto a chilled sheet pan. The secret is having the chocolate at just the right temperature and using gentle pressure with the vegetable peeler.
Southern Living Big Book of Cupcakes; Dreamcakes Bakery
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