Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat
Book DescriptionThere’s no better authority on delectable desserts than Martha Stewart. She and her ingenious team of editors have consistently created the most delicious recipes, and their dedication to simple instructions, how-to photographs, and beautiful styling is unparalleled. And there’s no more in-demand dessert right now than cupcakes.Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes< features 175 ideas and includes recipes for the cakes, frostings, and fillings, along with a trove of suggestions for tastefully decorating and embellishing them. From classics such as devil’s food cupcakes to sweet surprises like peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, and from elegant delicacies like tiny cherry-almond tea cakes to festive showstoppers topped with piped buttercream blossoms or candy clowns, each cupcake is accompanied by a gorgeous color photograph. They will inspire home bakers of all skill levels, who will find a cupcake for every occasion—birthdays, holidays, and special days such as weddings and showers—as well as for everyday fun.Martha Stewart’s Cupcakesalso includes templates and clip art for decorative flourishes, an equipment glossary, and step-by-step instructions for basic and advanced decorating techniques, plus ideas for presenting and packaging the cupcakes in Martha’s trademark style.FromMartha Stewart's Cupcakes: Martha’s Meyer Lemon CupcakesThe mild and sweet flavor of Meyer lemon is one of Martha’s favorites; these zest-flecked cupcakes are filled with Meyer lemon curd, which peeks out from the tops. The fruit, which is actually a lemon-orange hybrid, is generally available at specialty stores in winter and early spring. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, use regular lemons instead. The recipe yields a lot of cupcakes, so you may want to consider these for a bake sale or large gathering, such as a shower or special birthday celebration.Cupcake Ingredients3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted2 tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice (from 1 to 2 Meyer lemons)1/2 teaspoon baking powder1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt1 3/4 cups (3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature3 cups granulated sugar8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature7 large eggs, room temperature1 teaspoon pure vanilla extractConfectioners’ sugar, for dustingLemon Curd (made with Meyer lemons; ingredients and directions below)(Makes 42)Directions1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, zest, baking powder, and salt.2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in cream cheese. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, beating until just combined after each.3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.4. To finish, dust cupcakes with confectioners’ sugar. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and a medium round tip (#8) with curd. Insert tip into top of each cupcake, and squeeze some curd below top to fill the inside, then lift the tip and squeeze more curd in a pool on top. Filled cupcakes can be kept at room temperature up to 1 hour (or refrigerated a few hours more) before serving.Lemon CurdA high proportion of lemon juice gives curd its intense flavor. As an acid, the juice also prevents the yolks from curdling when heated (unlike when making pastry cream, which requires the extra step of tempering). You can substitute an equal amount of juice from other citrus, such as lime, grapefruit, or blood orange.Lemon Curd Ingredients2 whole eggs plus 8 egg yolks1  cup sugar2/3  cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)2  tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature(Makes about 2 cups)Directions1. Combine whole eggs and yolks, sugar, and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Strain through a fine sieve into another bowl, and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, pressing it directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).