It’s been downright balmy in San Francisco this week, sunny and in the seventies. It got me thinking about beaches, coconuts, papayas, and other things tropical. I had been planning on making Vietnamese coffee cupcakes and stumbled upon a recipe for baked coconut rice pudding. I settled quickly on using the rice pudding as a stuffing for a cupcake and went from there.

The end result was quite delicious. I found though that the cupcakes tasty significantly better the second day after all the flavors had time to meld together. The rice pudding is fantastic on its own and the recipe provides for plenty of left overs. In fact each individual component – the pudding, the simple cake, the frosting, the fruit – is great. And even if one thing didn’t quite come out, you’d still have a tasty treat on your hands.

Cupcakes from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chopped lime zest

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and lime juice/zest together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/lime juice mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes).
10. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Tip: It is important that the butter is at room temperature and beat well. Otherwise you might get butter chunks which sort of melt into little pools and make the cupcakes come out funny-looking. Not a huge deal, but I thought I’d mention it.

lime zest

Vietnamese Baked Coconut Rice Pudding

1/2 cup rice, short grain
2-1/2 cups coconut milk
1-1/3 cups whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, cut into chunks
1 cup loosely packed sweetened, flaked coconut – toasted

1. Toast coconut if you haven’t already. Spread on a cookie sheet and place in 350 degree oven for a five or so minutes shaking occasionally until golden brown.
2. Mix the rice with the coconut milk, the milk and the sugar.
3. Grease an oven proof dish. Transfer mixture into the dish, top with chunks of butter, and place in the oven. Be careful, as this is a liquidy mixture and tends to spill.
4. After 30 minutes stir in the coconut and return to the oven.
5. Cook for another 1-1/2 hours, or until almost all the milk is absorbed and a golden skin has formed on top of the pudding.
6. Remove and let cool.

toasted coconut

Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
2. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment.
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add half of the sugar and the ginger. Beat until combined.
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

Tip: For this recipe, where fresh fruit is set on top of the cupcake, it is best to use a cup or so more sugar to get a stiffer consistency. I didn’t do that and the fruit slid off somewhat in transit.

fruit garnish

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the base of the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of rice pudding.
3. Replace top.
4. Frost with the frosting.
5. Arrange slices of thinly sliced tropical fruit, like papaya, mango, and banana.

I am finding that the recipe development process starts with some ingredient or combination of ingredients entering my subconscious and sitting with me for some time. Eventually the full recipe will evolve after batting around ideas that may or may not translate into something tasty.

I had cherries and chocolate on the brain for a couple of weeks now. At some point fennel entered the picture, but I don’t recall when or why. I work across the street from the San Francisco Ferry Building which is fantastic place for seeking gastronomic inspiration. I purchased some dried, unsulphered, unsweetened cherries from Capay Organic, everything else I had in stock. I got ever so slightly experimental by soaking half the cherries in brandy overnight and left the other half alone.

I took this recipe recently posted on Flickr by MarionQuaggatuggu. I divided the batter in half and folded in drained and chopped brandy-soaked cherries for an adult version and folded in chopped plain cherries and Valrhona chunks for a kid-friendly version. The result was more than I could hope for – rich, moist, dense, but flakey cake with a deep chocolate flavor and the occasional texture variation and kick from the brandy-soaked cherries. I preferred the brandy version personally.

For the fennel cream cheese frosting, I decided to make a syrup to add to my standard cream cheese frosting recipe. I used just a couple tablespoons of sugar and water with a teaspoon of fennel that I crushed slightly with a mortar and pestle. I boiled the mixture down until it was very syrupy and added the whole thing to the frosting. The syrup was delicious and the frosting was fantastic. I loved the overall flavor combination of the cake and frosting and consider this a keeper.

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
14 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1-1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup flour
3.6 ounces dark chocolate, 1/2 of a 200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
15 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup dried cherries

1. Chop cherries and transfer to a small bowl. Cover in brandy and set aside to plump overnight.
2. Melt chocolate and butter over a water bath
3. add sugar and stir, let mixture cool for 10 minutes
4. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes
5. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
6. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended
7. Fold in cherries drained of the brandy
8. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

baked cupcake

Fennel Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
2. Heat sugar and water in a small pan under medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved
3. Crush fennel seeds slightly with a mortar and pestle or with the back of a heavy pan on a cutting board
4. Add seeds to the sugar and let boil over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is syrupy. Set aside to cool.
5. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
6. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
7. Add half of the sugar and the fennel syrup. Beat until combined
8. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

Note: I had a lot of frosting left over. Recommended uses include serving alongside sliced fruit (I had it with papaya and banana) or french toast. It can also be frozen for future use (use within a month or so). I store it in a freezer bag and when ready, transfer the bag to the refrigerator to thaw.

fennel seeds, cherries, & chocolate

Assemble
1. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.
2. Decorate as you wish. I topped the cupcakes with a pastillage star.

I got this basic pastillage recipe from the internet. I was looking for something that didn’t have any special ingredients like gumtex or glucose. I wasn’t up for a ride to the cake supply store. I found this pastillage difficult to work with. I couldn’t get it very thin (I think partly because it was slightly sticky) and a lot of my shapes cracked when I went to remove them. The recipe makes plenty though, so I had enough shapes that worked out alright and still have two balls left over.

Pastillage

1 package gelatin
2 ounces cold water
1 pound powdered sugar
2 ounces cornstarch
0.02 ounce cream of tarter
gel food coloring

1. Stir gelatin into the water. Let stand 5 minutes, then heat until the gelatin is dissolved.
2. Sift together the sugar, starch, and cream of tartar.
3. Place the gelatin and the water mixture in a bowl. Add part of the sugar mixture and stir with a spoon until it is absorbed. Add food coloring and continue stirring.
4. Add remaining sugar in stages, stirring to combine.
5. Hand knead mixture to a smooth, pliable paste. This stage takes a while, can be messy (I kept it in a large bowl), and may require some splashes of cool water to bring the mixture together. Add water slowly or the result may be too sticky. If that happens, add a bit more powdered sugar.
6. Divide paste into three balls. Wrap two of them very well with plastic wrap. Pastillage must be kept covered as it dries quickly.
7. Roll out one ball at a time, using cornstarch to prevent sticking. Cut out shapes with cookies cutters or whatever you have. Dried them on parchment. Delicate designs will likely crack when you go to remove them from the parchment. The simpler, the better.

I don’t know about you, but I ate lots of chocolate over the holidays. I felt like a break and decided to make a trio of citrus curds to stuff into some basic vanilla cupcakes. I topped them with a simple cream cheese frosting and a little zest for decoration. Simple, fresh, and delicious.

I used some existing recipes this time around… Magnolia’s Traditional Vanilla Birthday Cake recipe (adjusted to use all-purpose flour only) and Martha Stewart’s lemon curd recipe. I have used both of these, on numerous occasions, with great results. I have reprinted them as I have altered them slightly and I provide some tips along the way.

Cupcakes from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes).
10. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Tip: It is important that the butter is at room temperature and beat well. Otherwise you might get butter chunks which sort of melt into little pools and make the cupcakes come out funny-looking. Not a huge deal, but I thought I’d mention it.

cupcakes ready for baking

Citrus Curd from MarthaStewart.com

4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed citrus juice, strained
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
7 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and citrus juice in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes.
2. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in butter, piece by piece. Cover with plastic wrap, and cool in the refrigerator.
3. Whip together cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
4. Fold cream into the chilled curd.

Tip: The above recipe makes enough curd for over a teaspoon of filling for 24 cupcakes. I made 6 egg yolks worth so that I could get three batches for the three flavors. I ended up with extra, but those who wandered into the kitchen didn’t mind having something to dip the cupcake guts into.

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
2. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
4. Add half of the sugar and the vanilla. Beat until combined
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

cupcakes ready for filling

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of curd.
3. Replace top.
4. Frost with frosting.
5. Decorate as you wish. I topped the cupcakes with zest.

Being someone who grew up in the northeast, but who is now living in California, it’s hard for me to feel very festive about Christmas without the snow and proximity to family. I usually ignore the existence of the holiday then panic for my lack of presents when I arrive at Logan airport. So, here I am trying to force the festivities upon myself with an eggnog based recipe!

To be honest, I had my doubts about this recipe. I wasn’t sure how eggnog would translate and I understand that eggnog isn’t for everyone. But all in all, the cupcakes were good. They were definitely eggnogy, mostly due to the eggnog pastry cream, and pretty tasty. I like the frosting quite a bit, very buttery and not too sweet. So, if you are into eggnog, they should be worth a try. Warning: The frosting recipe makes just enough to lightly cover the cupcakes, which is what I wanted. So, if you want a lot double up on the recipe.

Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp
3 eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup eggnog
1/4 cup bourbon/dark rum (all of one or a mix)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon each baking powder and soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs until blended.
3. Mix together eggnog, bourbon, and vanilla.
4. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
5. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients into egg mixture mixing until combined.
6. Scoop into lined cupcake tins and bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes.

Eggnog Pastry Cream

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup eggnog
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place flour in a heavy sauce pan, gradually whisk in eggnog until blended and smooth.
2. Add egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until just combined after each addition.
3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, removing from the heat occasionally to avoid lumps, until thickened. If necessary strain through a metal sieve to remove lumps.
4. Remove from heat, stir in butter, rum and vanilla.
5. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap, chill.

Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoons butter
pinch salt
2 tablespoons bourbon
1-1/2 packages phili cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup butter, room temp
4 cups confectioner’s sugar

1. Heat brown sugar, cream, butter, salt over medium high heat whisking until sugar is dissolved. Cook for another minute.
2. Pour in bourbon and stir to combine. Take off heat and let cool.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until soft.
4. Add the confectioner’s sugar and beat to combine.
5. Add three tablespoons of the bourbon caramel (you might have some left over) and beat to combine.

Assemble
1. Fill cooled cupcakes with pastry cream.
2. Top with frosting.
3. Decorate as you wish or drizzle some leftover bourbon caramel sauce.

scooping out holes for the filling

filling holes with pastry cream

prepping the pastry bag

piping the frosting

smoothing out the frosting

Tarragon tastes sort of like anise and pairs well with chocolate. I was eager to try the two together in a cupcake. I decided to use a basic chocolate cupcake base (I used the Magnolia devil’s food recipe because I wanted to try it) and added fresh tarragon to that. I guessed at a tablespoon of the chopped herb, but the taste was very subtle. Hence I decided to get tarragon in the frosting as well. All-in-all, I still couldn’t taste enough of the tarragon for my liking. I would have topped each with a fresh tarragon leaf if I had any handy.

A side note: The frosting calls for a tarragon infused simple syrup; this is the first time I have made some. I must say that it is extremely tasty and I could see it being a great addition to herbal ice teas, vodka based drinks, and homemade ice cream… same as the lavender simple syrup. Yum.

Lastly, the devil’s food recipe was fine, but a little drier than I expected. Baking is temperamental though, so it might work out better for others (or next time, in my case).

Cupcakes adapted from Magnolia’s devil’s food recipe
48 mini-cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated and at room temp
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups milk
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

1. sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, set aside
2. in a separate small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon colored, about 2 minutes
3. in the bowl of the electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes
4. add egg yolks, beating until well combined
5. add the melted chocolate, mix until combined
6. add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk and vanilla, beating after each addition until smooth
7. in another bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form
8. fold the egg whites into the batter gently, fold in the fresh tarragon
9. pipe into lined mini-cupcake tins with a pastry bag
10. bake at 350 degree oven (325 convection) for ~12 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

filling mini cupcake tins

Tarragon-Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2-3 bunches of tarragon
12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1. heat sugar and water over medium-high heat, stirring until dissolved
2. add tarragon bunches, stir in and let boil until syrupy, about 3 minutes
3. set aside and let cool, then strain out tarragon
4. bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
5. sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
6. beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
7. add half of the sugar and beat until combined
8. drizzle in tarragon simple syrup at low speed
9. gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

fresh tarragon

Assembly

1. pipe a dollop of frosting on to each of the cooled cupcakes
2. [optional] top with a fresh tarragon leaf

I took a break from cupcakes with this special cake that is marking both a happy and sad occasion…

After four and half years working with the same group of people, I am moving on. Well in actuality many of us have moved on already – voluntary and not. So, much of my sadness is for something that was lost months ago. Regardless, I will miss my coworkers that have become like daytime brothers and sisters.

The occasion of my send-off party also happens to coincide with the time of year when we would celebrate the birthdays of three coworkers. For the past two years I have been baking cakes for this occasion – three very different cakes – one for each of them. I would spend all week baking the three different cake recipes, whipping up three different frostings, preparing a variety of fillings and decorations. Laborious by some standards, but mostly fun for me. Ok, I will be honest; normally by the end of it I am thinking “Why in the hell do I do this to myself!”

I am sort of off the hook this year. There is only one birthday boy left to celebrate and only one cake to make.

About the cake… I felt that grapefruit as a main ingredient might be a risk, that people might simply not like it. Overall, though, the cake was well received and people seemed to enjoy the grapefruit and orange center. The cake was moist, the tartness of the grapefruit balanced very well with the frosting and other sweet components of the cake, all in all the result was quite delicious. Oh, and if you like champagne, you will want to eat the custard with a spoon!

Champagne Filling
1 cup dry champagne or other sparkling wine
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 tablespoons chilled whipping cream

1. in large metal bowl, whisk the champagne, sugar, cornstarch, yolks and corn syrup to blend
2. set bowl over a bain marie
3. whisk constantly until mixture has tripled in volume and candy thermometer registers 160°F., about 15 minutes
4. transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until completely cool, about 5 minutes
5. in a clean bowl, beat cream to soft peaks
6. fold cream into cooled custard
7. cover and store in fridge until ready to use (can be prepared 1 day ahead)

Fall Fruit Filling
1 grapefruit
1 navel orange
1 blood orange

1. using a zester, remove zest from navel orange and set aside (the zest will be candied for decoration)
2. cut the fruits in half crosswise
3. working over a strainer fitted over a bowl and using a small pairing knife, cut out the segments being sure to leave behind the membrane
4. cover and store in fridge until ready to use (can be prepared 1 day ahead)

Candied Citrus Peel

1 orange
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup sugar for dusting

1. with a zester, make strips of oranges zest (if you haven’t already done this)
2. in a small pan, dissolve the 1/2 cup of sugar in the water over low heat
3. add the orange zest and simmer for 15 minutes, then cool
4. place the 1/4 cup sugar on a small plate
5. remove each strand of zest, use your thumb and first finger to remove excess sugar
6. layer on parchment paper and wrap in plastic, store in fridge until ready to use (can be prepared 1 day ahead)

Vanilla Birthday Cake
2 8″ cakes / 350 degree oven
2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. butter the inside of the cake pans then line with a circle of parchment or foil, butter that
2. spoon a bit of flour in the pan and shake to coat the inside, tap out excess
3. cream butter in an electric mixer until smooth, about 1 minute
4. while beating, drizzle in sugar
5. continue to beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes
6. add one egg at a time, beating well after each, about 20 seconds
7. in a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt
8. combine milk and vanilla
9. add flour mixture and milk mixture to the electric mixer, alternating and starting and ending with flour, beat well after each addition
10. pour batter into pans about 3/4 full
11. bake until golden and a cake tester comes out clean, about ~20 minutes

Grapefruit Cheese Frosting

2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest, chopped
1/2 teaspoon grapefruit juice

1. bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
2. sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
3. beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
4. add 4 cups of the sugar and beat until combined
5. add grapefruit juice and zest and beat until combined
6. if you want, add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

Assembly
With a wet filling like the ones in this recipe, I like to create a berm of frosting around the edge of each layer to hold the filling in while I am decorating. For that, you fill a pastry bag with a large, plain tip and pipe a simple berm around the edge. I wish I had pictures to show you! I did a simple two layer cake (I like to do 6 layer cakes, but they are a major pain and it was a weeknight). After making the berm, I added a layer of custard and a layer of fruit. Frosted the whole thing with grapefruit cream cheese frosting and voilà!

I totally planned on getting pictures of the cake decorating process, I swear! But somehow, I left my only CF card in my laptop at work. Duh. So, no pictures and the end product pictures were done at work and not as good as I had hoped!

I made these ricotta raspberry almond cupcakes for “ladies night”. My aunt was having a bunch of overnight guests and I wanted to make an adult-tasting dessert that matched the Italianesque meal of roasted chicken. I also wanted the cupcakes to be fun, as I knew we wouldn’t be digging into them until after many martinis.

The cupcakes were what I hoped. Moist, sweet, and subtle almond flavor, balanced with the tartness of the raspberry. The ricotta gave it moistness and heartiness that I liked. The addition of the burnt butter almonds lended a crunchy texture, but I would say that they are definitely optional. The meringue frosting had a touch of citrus and was fairly sweet. At the end of it, many of us ended up with sticky pink frosting clinging to our faces.

Cupcakes
~18 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

7 ounces almond paste (not marzipan)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 stick butter, unsalted/room temp
4 eggs, large/room temp
2/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup raspberries

1. beat almond paste at low speed to loosen up, about 30 seconds
2. gradually add sugar while beating at low speed
3. continue to beat at low speed for 1 minute or so
4. add the ricotta and beat to combine
5. while beating at low speed, add a tablespoon of butter at a time, waiting for the butter to incorporate until adding the next pat
6. stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, beat at medium for about 2 minutes until fluffy
7. crack eggs into a bowl and break up with a fork
8. at low speed gradually add eggs about a tablespoon at a time, waiting for the eggs to incorporate until adding the next bit
9. beat again at medium speed for about 2 minutes
10. measure out flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl and whisk to combine
11. with a rubber spatula, fold flour mixture into the cake batter until combined
12. fold in raspberries
13. scoop batter into cupcake liners, fill about 1/2 inch from the top (3/4 full)
14. bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean

[optional] Burnt Butter Almonds

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 cup almond slices

1. toast almond slices on a cookie sheet in a 350 degrees oven for about 10 minutes or until brown, stir almonds around occasionally, remove from oven and let cool
2. add butter to a skillet over medium heat
3. melt butter, let foam subside
4. add brown sugar and stir to combine
5. let mixture cook for about 3-5 minutes, it should be thick and sticky looking
6. add toasted almond slices and stir to coat

Citrus Meringue Frosting

1 cup egg whites (from approximately 7-8 eggs)
2 cups sugar
3 drops orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest, finely chopped

1. combine egg whites and sugar into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer and set over a bain marie (water bath)
2. whisk by hand for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved or preferably until the mixture reaches 110 degrees fahrenheit
3. transfer bowl to electric mixer, beat on medium speed for 10 minutes
4. add orange juice, zest, and a drop of red gel food coloring
5. beat on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 to 5 minutes more

Assembly
1. spoon some almonds onto each cooled cupcake
2. dollop a heaping tablespoon of meringue on top of that
3. using your finger pull the meringue down to cover the top of the cupcake, the frosting is very sticky and you want it to basically attach itself to the cupcake liner
4. using your finger poke the top of frosting to make a nice shape and some interesting peaks
5. using a blow torch, brown the meringue.

If I was feeling especially ambitious, which I wasn’t because I was out all day and got home kind of late, I would have made homemade almond paste and homemade ricotta cheese. I would expect that substituting homemade ingredients would provide a more delicate outcome.