cupcakes

I have a confession to make.

Martha Stewart kinda scares the figgy pudding out of me.

There’s just something about her. Anybody that can make a grilled cheese by starting with a wheat field and a cow is pretty darn intimidating. Part of it might be that fixed, slightly deranged gaze of an unhinged synchronized swimmer. I firmly believe that under the right circumstances, she’d happily cut me. She’s done time in the slammer you know.

But, I do admire Martha’s skills. That woman could take an envelope and an old sock and turn it into a chandelier. She could take half a Big Mac, an apple, and four dodgy Brussel sprouts and create a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner for twelve.

I was on her website looking at recipes when I saw a Rice Crispy treat surprise birthday cake. You cut the treats into round cake shapes and decorate it like a cake. But for Martha, the whole thing seemed run-of-the-mill and frankly, dull.

For anybody else this would be a masterpiece, but for Martha…well…

It did get my wheels turning, though.

I imagined a deep, deep Devil’s food cupcake, with a not too heavy or sweet seven-minute type marshmallow frosting.

But, in the bottom of the liner, I would put a Rice Crispy treat. The only problem was, I had no idea if it would turn out awesomely epic or a Charlie Sheen/Chernobyl-level disaster. So, I gathered my supplies, informed Petey he had guinea pig duty, and entered my kitchen/lab.

You know what? It worked. The marshmallow treat part didn’t burn or harden, the cake was moist and super chocolatey, and the marshmallow frosting was just the right touch (and as an added bonus, the frosting is fat-free).

But I do have a couple of tips to reduce possible stress and future heartache.

df cupcake

Since I had to make the rice treats, cupcakes, and frosting, I decided to use a cake mix. Only I subbed out the water for coffee and added a couple tablespoons of dark cocoa powder because I wanted to cut down the sweetness and amp up chocolate.

I put a rounded tablespoon of the still-warm treats in the bottom of cupcake liners, which I had sprayed with cooking spray (You only need a half a batch of the treats at most. The recipe for them is on the cereal box). Then I flattened the treats with my thumb and poured the cake batter almost to the very top. Because of this, I only got about 18. Coincidentally they also baked for 18 minutes. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The frosting stays sticky. If they’ll need to travel, I suggest you toast it with a kitchen torch to seal it. The recipe was a traditional cooked marshmallow/meringue topping. It turned out to be easy to make, and so good you need to frost fast, to reduce the chance of eating it all from the bowl.

Marshmallow frosting

marsh frosting

4 large egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

Big pinch of cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Put mixing bowl over slowly simmering pot of water—double boiler style. Whisk together eggs and sugar until sugar’s dissolved, and it’s warm to the touch.

Put on mixer with whisk attachment and beat until it’s glossy and holds a stiff peak (5-7 minutes). Mix in salt and vanilla. Immediately frost cooled cupcakes. Piping the icing makes it go much quicker, and they’re especially pretty that way.

wallp toast1.png I think, in a way, I may have out-Martha-ed Martha. But maybe I shouldn’t say that out loud.

She might come after me. And hurt me.

Thanks for your time.

The Kid has a pretty dim view of cupcake shops.

cupcake lady

After watching many episodes of “Cupcake Wars” on Food Network, a conclusion has been reached; a disheartening percentage of those batter and frosting folk are a mite squirrely.

While they may actually be perfectly nice people, many seem high strung and theatrical. And worst of all, not very good bakers.

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But, The Kid (and The Kid’s mom) absolutely adores The Cupcake Bar (101 E. Chapel Hill St.). I asked for an explanation for this exception.

“Because, they’re real. They’re Durham.”

There is absolutely no higher praise that my born, bred, and Bull City super booster can bestow. Besides, it’s true.

What sisters Anna Branly and Katie Braam have created in their odd little triangle-shaped space downtown is nothing short of miraculous. They were pioneers of the downtown renaissance.

Jessica (left) and Anna packing up a dozen minis for me–after my “shift”.

The space itself is a sunshine-drenched hybrid of history and sleek modernity. It looks like a bakery and it looks like a slick martini bar, but it also looks like a vintage soda fountain.

The vibe is a combination of casual friendliness and efficient professionalism that works like a buttercream-covered charm.

Then there’s the always scrumptious baked goods.

Each day eight imaginative, playful varieties of cupcakes in both mini and standard-size are baked, frosted, garnished, and put on display. Offerings such as Mexican chocolate, blueberry (!), or cosmopolitan tempt the senses.

Today I got up early to hang out with owner Anna, and baker Jessica Morek at The Cupcake Bar. They kindly allowed me to slow down their well-oiled machine and “help” them. I garnished every cupcake, except for the instructional samples and three minis that I totally missed. I only ruined four, or maybe it was five (don’t ask).

…and I helped!

Here are a few things I discovered.

Anna’s vegetarian, and Jessica doesn’t eat wheat. Every Wednesday, and sprinkled throughout the week, there’s a gluten-free option. Vegan show up often, and they’re always meatless.

Co-owner Katie has come up with a genius idea. When the buttercream’s been made, it’s spooned onto a piece of plastic wrap and then closed up into a large lozenge shape. When it’s time to pipe, they just drop the whole capsule into a bag and go to work. The plastic wrap opens inside the bag. This means easier cleanup and no awkward, messy attempts to fill the pastry bag. Plus, it saves probably 30 minutes per batch.

This recipe is inspired by the mad scientists at The Cupcake Bar.

Colonial cupcakes with brown butter frosting

Makes approx. 2 dozen standard-sized or 3 dozen minis.

Cake:

cupcake

2 ¼ cups cake flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375; line muffin cups with papers.

Cream butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to batter alternating with milk. Beat well, then stir in vanilla, lemon zest and nutmeg.

Fill the cups ¾ full and bake for 18 minutes (10-13 for minis), or until toothpick comes out moist but clean. Let cool in pan.

Brown butter frosting

brown frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

½ cup brown butter, softened

¼ cup milk (or as needed to thin to piping consistency)

To make brown butter, melt butter in small saucepan on medium-low. Keep cooking until butter smells nutty and the solids are caramel-colored. Watch it closely; it will go from browned to burned in literally seconds.

Put butter in a bowl and refrigerate until chilled solid. When ready to make frosting, remove from fridge and let come to room temperature.

Mix the sugar and butter well. Add milk a bit at a time and mix on high until fluffy (2-3 minutes).

Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

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I had a full-on blast today, and I shocked myself; rather than devouring a whole bowl, I only had one tiny taste of frosting.

And did you know they’ve only been in their building four years?

I can’t remember a time when there wasn’t a Cupcake Bar in my life.

Or maybe I just don’t want to.

Thanks for your time.

bull city mom

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