Pastel Angel Food Cupcakes

ANGEL FOOD CUPCAKES WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND BERRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 30 to 36 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix and water with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour batter into muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
• Bake 12 to 20 minutes or until cupcakes are golden brown and cracks on top feel dry. Remove from muffin cups to cooling rack. Cool.
• In medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on medium-high speed until slightly thickened. Reduce speed; beat in granulated sugar and vanilla bean paste. Increase speed; beat mixture until stiff peaks form. Spoon whipped cream into decorating bag fitted with large star tip.
• Pipe whipped cream on top of cooled cupcakes; garnish with berries. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar.

ANGEL FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2-4 liners - this recipe makes about 14-16 cupcakes. Set aside.
• In a food processor or blender (I use this one), pulse the sugar until fine and powdery. Remove 1/2 cup and set aside to use in step 3; keep the rest inside the food processor. Add the cake flour and salt to the food processor. Pulse 5-10 times until sugar/flour/salt mixture is aerated and light.
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites, water, and cream of tartar together on medium low until foamy, about 1 minute. Switch to medium-high and slowly add the 1/2 cup of sugar. Whip until soft peaks form, about 5-6 minutes. See photo above for visual. Add the vanilla extract and beat just until incorporated.
• In several additions, slowly sift the flour mixture into the egg white mixture using a fine-mesh strainer, gently folding after each addition. To avoid the cupcakes from deflating or tasting dense, don't add the flour mixture all at once. Sift and very slowly fold in several additions. This is important! Spoon batter into liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides.
• Bake the cupcakes until very lightly browned around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. For around 3 dozen mini cupcakes, bake for about 10-12 minutes, same oven temperature.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
• Spread or pipe homemade whipped cream onto cupcakes. I used a small icing spatula for some, but a Wilton 8B tip looks wonderful (see picture above!). Garnish with fresh berries.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

ANGEL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, and lightly coat with cooking spray.
• Sift the flour, confectioners' sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt through a fine sieve into a medium bowl; set aside.
• Combine the egg whites in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium-high, and continue beating until the peaks are stiff and very shiny, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Remove the bowl from the stand.
• Sprinkle 1/4 of the flour mixture on top of the eggs, and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Evenly fold in the remaining flour mixture in 3 additions.
• Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups in messy mounds taller than the liners, and bake until the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the halo decorations: Cut 12 sticks 1 inch long and about 1/8 inch thick out of the crystallized ginger. Trim the ends so they are straight across.
• Trace 12 circles on a piece of parchment with a 1-inch round cookie cutter. Turn the paper over; set aside. Fit one of the pastry bags with the tip.
• Microwave the candy coating in a small bowl, uncovered, at 40 percent power in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and completely smooth. Transfer the candy coating to the pastry bag, and pipe it into 12 circles, using the parchment template as a guide. Set aside to let harden slightly. Pipe 1 small dollop of the candy coating directly onto each circle, and push a ginger stick into each so it is standing straight up. Let the halos harden completely.
• For the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a stand mixer's heatproof bowl above the water (or a large heatproof bowl if using a handheld mixer). Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and a pinch of salt together in the bowl; set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat the egg white mixture with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until it is cool and forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
• Decorate the cupcakes: Transfer the frosting to the remaining pastry bag, and pipe generous swirls on top of each cupcake, lifting the bag up quickly to make a peak. Push the ginger stem of a halo into each, and serve right away.

ANGEL FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper bake cups.
• Prepare batter as directed on the box. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.

ANGEL FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350, and place 6 paper liners in a cupcake pan. Gather cupcake ingredients, and set aside frosting ingredients.
• In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch and salt. Sift it back into another bowl, and repeat one more time for a total of 3 siftings. Set this mixture aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high until foamy (about 30 seconds). Once foamy, add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form (about 2 minutes). Soft peaks fall over on themselves when you lift the beaters out.
• Next, slowly stream the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the egg whites while beating. When done, the mixture will be bright white and glossy.
• Finally, add the vanilla extract and beat to combine.
• Add the flour mixture to the egg white and sugar mixture, and fold together using a rubber spatula. Proper folding technique is down the middle and sweep the sides of the bowl. Don't deflate the batter by stirring too vigorously!
• Divide the batter amount the cupcake liners. It will come to the top of each liner. Bake for 17-19 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes are starting to lightly brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Let the cupcakes cool completely in the pan before moving to a wire rack.
• Combine the cold whipping cream and powdered sugar, and beat until fluffy. Use a piping bag or butter knife to spread it on the cupcakes. Garnish with fresh berries and serve.