Butternut Squash Cupcakes Food

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS WITH A FROSTY TOP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin tins with paper cups.
• Whiz the squash in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the sugar, and crack in the eggs. Add a pinch of salt, the flour, baking powder, walnuts, cinnamon and olive oil and whiz together until well beaten. You may need to pause the machine at some point to scrape the mix down the sides with a rubber spatula. Try not to overdo it with the mixing - you want to just combine everything and no more.
• Fill the paper cups with the muffin mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Check to see whether they are cooked properly by sticking a wooden skewer or a knife right into one of the muffins - if it comes out clean, they're done. If it's a bit sticky, pop them back into the oven for a little longer. Remove from the oven and leave the muffins to cool on a wire rack.
• As soon as the muffins are in the oven, make your runny frosted topping. Place most of the clementine zest, all the lemon zest and the lemon juice in a bowl. Add the sour cream, icing sugar and vanilla seeds and mix well. Taste and have a think about it - adjust the amount of lemon juice or icing sugar to balance the sweet and sour. Put into the fridge until your muffins have cooled down, then spoon the topping onto the muffins.
• Serve on a lovely plate (on a cake stand if you're feeling elegant, or on a rustic slab if you're more of a hunter-gatherer type!), with the rest of the clementine zest sprinkled over. For an interesting flavor and look, a few dried lavender flowers or rose petals are fantastic.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CUPCAKES, CRANBERRY COMPOTE FILLING AND SAGE-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until well blended using a hand held mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then add the vanilla and one egg at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the butternut squash and mix until well blended.
• With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the dry ingredients and the milk, alternating between the two, beginning and ending with the flour, blending thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the chopped pecans if using.
• Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter and bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, and then remove the cupcakes from the pans and cool completely on the rack before filling and frosting.
• To assemble: Core the center of each cooled cupcake using an apple corer. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the cooled Cranberry Compote Filling into the cavity of each cupcake. Generously frost the top of each cupcake with the Sage-Cream Cheese Frosting.
• Combine the granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Cover and cool completely at room temperature.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the salt and vanilla extract. Beat until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the juice from the Cranberry Compote, and then add the chopped sage and mix on low speed until fully incorporated.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Special equipment: a candy thermometer, an 8-inch ring mold and a kitchen torch
• For the squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Toss the butternut squash with the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Spread out the squash on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with more foil and secure the edges. Roast until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil from the top and continue to roast until slightly golden, about 10 more minutes. Let cool and then puree in a food processor and set aside.
• For the pecan jaconde: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until frothy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and salt and whip until stiff peaks form. Add the egg yolks slowly and continue whipping until combined, about 2 minutes.
• Sift in the flour in 3 stages, folding carefully to prevent deflating and making sure there are no lumps. Fold in the melted butter.
• Spread on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the pecans. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into two 8-inch circles. Tip: leftovers can be use in a trifle
• For the pecan rum cake syrup: Bring the granulated sugar, pecans and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil for three minute or so to release the pecan oils. Remove from the heat and add the rum. Use warm to moisten the sponge while assembling the cake
• For the butternut squash pudding: In a pot, bring the sugar, cream, condensed milk, cinnamon sticks, pumpkin pie spice and 1 cup of the milk to a boil.. In a medium bowl, mix the cornstarch with the egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup milk.
• Remove the cinnamon sticks carefully from the milk mixture and temper the cornstarch mixture with it, whisking the hot mixture by the ladleful into the cornstarch mixture. Return the tempered mixture to the pot and add 2 cups of the squash puree (reserve the remaining puree for another use). Cook on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and butter and mix until incorporated.
• For the marshmallow meringue: In a small pot, bring the granulated sugar and 6 tablespoons water to a boil. Cook to 240 degrees F or the soft ball stage. Once the syrup has reached 210 degrees F, start whipping the egg whites. As soon as the syrup reaches 240 degrees F, add the syrup to the egg whites while whipping. Add the melted marshmallow and pumpkin pie spice and whip until cooled, 5 to 10 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Use an 8-inch ring mold. Place a layer of pecan joconde sponge on the bottom and drench with half the syrup. Cover with a layer of the warm pudding as thick as the cake. Repeat with another layer of cake and pudding. Allow to cool in the refrigerator until the pudding sets, about 20 minutes. Once cooled, remove from the ring and decorate with the marshmallow meringue all around the cake. Torch the outside of the cake gently to create a brulee look. Decorate with cape gooseberries and chopped pecans, if using.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter and the granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until fluffy. Beat in baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add flour alternately with buttermilk, scraping side of bowl. Beat 1 minute. Stir in squash and 1/2 cup walnuts. Spread in pan.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and the maple flavor. Beat until smooth and creamy, adding additional milk if needed. Frost cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup walnuts. Cover and refrigerate.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with cooking spray.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar until creamy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Add the vanilla.
• Add the flour mixture alternately with the squash. Mix until well blended.
• Pour into the prepared bundt pan.
• Bake for 60 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the middle of the cake to see if it comes out clean. If not, bake for 5 more minutes.
• Repeat if necessary.
• Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool on rack.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix first 4 ingredients and beat well, then add sifted ingredients.
• Add squash.
• Fold in chopped nuts.
• Bake in greased tube pan at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until done.