How would I make an ice cream cupcake??? This question had been floating around in my head for some time and finally the random thought turned into an obsession sparked by an article I read (and misplaced) about updated ice cream bombes in Berkeley. After days of reflection I came up with this recipe. I simply couldn’t wait to see the green cake layered with purple lavender ice cream and creamy honey ice cream.

Warning to you… this recipe takes days to make and requires an ice cream machine. The good news is that you can make it significantly easier on yourself by purchasing high quality ice cream and making only the cake and frosting. I highly recommend it! The batches of ice cream specified below make enough for one go in the cuisinart, but not enough to fill all 24 cupcakes. (I only had enough for 16 of them.) And because you need to chill the ice cream maker insert literally overnight for it to work, it would have taken a week to make enough ice cream for the whole lot. So aside from buying the ice cream, you would need to plan well in advance.

I haven’t tasted these yet. I am forcing myself to go to work on a Sunday to get caught up, as they say, and am saving one of these little guys as my reward. I will post an update tonight on the end result.

Update: These tasted pretty fantastic, but they were very sweet… which I like. The matcha powder I purchased (from Whole Foods for $30 an ounce, yikes) was very strong and I could definitely taste the green tea. The green tea flavor was the strongest initially, with the honey coming in right behind it. I used a stronger, darker honey and the taste was very ‘in your face’. Next time I would use something milder. Interestingly, the lavender came in at the end, not completely overwhelmed by the other strong flavors, making this a relatively complex if cloyingly sweet cupcake experience.

Lavender Ice Cream

3/4 cup half and half or light cream
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoons lavender flowers, dried
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon flour, all-purpose
pinch of salt 2 drops purple gel food coloring

1. Bring creams and lavender flowers to a gentle simmer for about two minutes then take of heat and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk sugar and egg yolks until they are thickened and pale yellow. Whisk in the flour.
3. Strain the lavender leaves out of the milk then slowly pour the warm mixture into the eggs while whisking the eggs.
4. Transfer everything back into the pan and gently heat, stirring with a wooden spoon constantly until thickened. Add salt and food coloring and stir to combine.
5. Strain into a bowl and let cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
6. Make the ice cream in your ice cream machine per the manufacturer’s directions.

lavender ice cream

Honey Ice Cream

1/4 cup honey
3/4 cups half and half or light cream
3/4 cups heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon flour, all-purpose
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

1. In a bowl, whisk honey and egg yolks until they are thickened and pale yellow. Whisk in the flour.
2. Bring creams to a gentle simmer pour then slowly pour the warm mixture into the eggs while whisking the eggs.
3. Transfer everything back into the pan and gently heat, stirring with a wooden spoon constantly until thickened. Add salt and stir to combine.
4. Strain into a bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in vanilla. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Make the ice cream in your ice cream machine per the manufacturer’s directions.

matcha powder

Green Tea or “Matcha” Cupcakes
1/2 sheet pan / 350 degree oven

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons matcha

1. Prepare sheet pan by rubbing with butter, covering with parchment, rubbing with more butter, and dusting with flour.
2. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs/egg yolks one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to batter and mix to combine.
6. Mix matcha in with the milk. Add to the batter and mix until combine.
7. Pour into prepared 1/2 sheet pan and smooth flat.
8. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Note: You can use this batter to make straight up green tea cupcakes. Simply scoop into cupcake papers and bake for about the same amount of time.

matcha cake

smoothing out batter

Matcha Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons half and half or light cream
1 tablespoon matcha powder
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1. Mix matcha in with the light cream to make a paste.
2. Beat butter briefly, scrape bowl.
3. Add the sifted powdered sugar and matcha paste. Beat until smooth.

Assemble
1. Cut rounds of cake to fit in the cupcake paper. Put a round in each cupcake paper.
2. Place a scoop of lavender ice cream on top of each round and smooth with the back of a spoon .
3. Place cupcakes in the freezer and chill for 1 hour.
4. Place a scoop of honey ice cream on top of each round and smooth with an offset spatula dipped in hot water.
5. Place cupcakes in the freezer and chill for 1 hour.
6. Smooth a thin layer of buttercream over the cupcakes and top with a decoration. Store in the freezer.

Note: I purchased the cute, pink royal icing flowers at a local cake supply store. This was too much work as it is!

cut disks

place in paper

lavender ice cream layer

honey ice cream layer

freeze

then frost

Having worked with lemongrass before, in Thai curries and soups, I knew I would have to coax the flavor out of these tough, little stalks. The key, I found, was to search out the freshest specimens possible and peel away the tough outer skin. The next step was to chop a whole stalk and steep in the liquid intended for the cupcakes.

The end result was deliciously sweet and moist with a subtle lemongrass flavor that paired well with the very coconuty frosting. But I have to be frank… when I tasted the batter it was really bringing back taste memories that I struggled to recall. When it finally hit me, I was almost disappointed. How could something as exotic as lemongrass remind me of the milk at the end of the bowl of fruity pebbles!

The baked cake lost its fruity pebble flavor, thankfully, and I was quite pleased with the cupcake overall.

Lemongrass Milk

1-1/2 cups milk, whole
1 stalk lemongrass

1. Bring milk and lemongrass to a gentle simmer for about three minutes.
2. Turn off heat and let cool until warm.
3. Transfer about half of the milk and most of the lemongrass solids into a blender and pulse for about 30 seconds.
4. Transfer everything back into the pan and let cool fully.

chopped lemongrass

simmering lemongrass milk

Lemongrass Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup lemongrass milk (see recipe above)
1 teaspoon lemongrass, tender part only, chopped finely
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

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 salt in a bowl.
5. Add chopped lemongrass to the lemongrass milk.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the lemongrass milk and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and lemongrass milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full.
10. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

cooling cupcakes

Lemongrass-Coconut Buttercream Frosting

1-1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
1/4 cup lemongrass milk (see recipe above)
1-1/2 cups grated fresh coconut
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1. Beat butter briefly, scrape bowl.
2. Add the sifted powdered sugar and lemongrass milk. Beat until smooth.
3. Add coconut and mix until combined.

Assemble
1. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.
[Optional] Chop unsalted peanuts with some kosher salt until fine. Sprinkle over cupcakes.

I really, really want a solid Thai Tea cupcake recipe. I have been playing around with just about every product I could get my hands on and trying a variety of recipes and approaches. Getting the Thai tea flavor in the baked good was just not working. While the cake tasted fine… in most cases ended up tasting like corn and not Thai tea.

I finally decided to skip the flavor in the cake and focus it in the filling and frosting. I also used yet another new product and this one is my favorite so far. I made Thai Ice Tea per the directions and the result is most definitely whatever I am being served in San Francisco Thai restaurants… the Thai Tea flavor I am accustomed to and love.

These cupcakes tasted luscious – no funky after tastes, no cloying sweetness. The cake is the not-too-sweet balance to the creamy sweetness of the filling and frosting. We tried these soon after assembly and they just sort of burst into a creamy mass. I think with some time in the refrigerator the flavors will deepen, the filling will become one with the cake, and the experience should be equally as good, perhaps a little better, and definitely a bit neater.

I don’t know if this is the end of my search, but I am definitely pleased with what transpired today.

Cupcakes
15 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large egg whites

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. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
4. Measure out vanilla and milk together.
5. Add about a third of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
6. Add about one half the milk mixture and beat until combined.
7. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture. Transfer to a bowl. Clean mixer bowl well and dry thoroughly.
8. Whip egg whites until soft peaks form.
9. Mix in about a half cup of egg whites in to the batter, then fold the batter into the egg whites, gently until all egg whites streaks are gone.
10. Scoop into cupcake papers about two thirds full.
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

mise en place

batter

Thai Tea Creamy Filling

3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup Thai Tea syrup
4 large egg yolks

1. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, flour, and salt together and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, bring milk and Thai Tea syrup to simmer over medium-low heat.
4. Pour about a half cup of the milk over the dry mixture and mix to combine.
5. Transfer back into the pan and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. About 5 minutes.
6. Slowly add a small amount of the hot mixture to the eggs and mix to combine. Transfer back into the pan and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
7. Transfer to a bowl, let cool for 10 minutes. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.

Note: You will have extra filling. I decided against splitting the recipe in half as it uses the 4 egg yolks for the 4 whites in the cake recipe. If you don’t want extra, try cutting the recipe in half.

thai tea syrup

Thai Tea Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 8-ounce package Phili cream cheese
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Thai Tea syrup
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

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 1/4 cup of Thai tea syrup. Beat until combined.
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like. Add more syrup to get to the flavor you want. I added 2 more tablespoons.

the cone

thai tea cream filling

replaced top

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 of cream filling.
3. Replace the top of the cone.
4. Frost then sprinkle with crushed Thai tea leaves.

I made an impromptu decision on a Thursday afternoon to make cupcakes for a party on Friday afternoon. I knew I wanted to make pistachio cupcakes, my homage to Indian sweets. I didn’t have a lot of time or options, so I ran out at lunch to the Ferry Building, conveniently located across the street from work. I managed to find some pistachio cream (at $19.99 for 8 ounces! Ouch!) at the Village Market and rose petal jelly and small, edible rose buds at Boulettes Larder.

I decided on a chiffon style cake this time around. I want to make an important point outright. This is a far trickier method than the creaming method that I use for most of the recipes in the blog. Many things can always go wrong in baking; this is even truer with this style of cake. It shouldn’t stop you from trying, but if there is one thing I learned from the professionals that I took classes with, the key is being able to work with whatever the outcome is.

In this case, I made quite a bit of batter. As such, my oven was packed with cupcakes and they were baking unevenly. Did I risk opening the oven to shift them around? Opening an oven too early in the process can cause a draft and result in fallen cupcakes. Or did I leave them be and deal with some cupcakes being over done? In the end, I waited until about halfway through the baking time, then opened the oven and shifted the cupcakes around. In the end, I would say about 8 of the 36 cupcakes fell. I used the good ones for the party and covered the others with a bit of frosting and saved them for the family.

The pistachio cake was an experiment. I was happy with the outcome. Despite the baking issues I had, the cake was tasty, and in my opinion very pistachio-y. It was light and airy, just like chiffon should be. I went light on the frosting so it wouldn’t overpower the cake. I didn’t get much of a rose flavor from the jelly, but the color was nice and I could definitely smell roses (most likely from the buds). If I had planned ahead, I would have order some rose water or syrup to help liven the frosting some.

Pistachio Cupcakes
36 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

2-3/4 cups cake flour
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup grape seed oil (or vegetable oil)
8 egg yolks (approximately 6 ounces)
1/2 cup water
4 ounces pistachio cream (approximately 1/3 cup)
10 egg whites (approximately 10 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

1. Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oil, egg yolks, water, and pistachio cream. Stir to combine.
3. On a low setting, start to beat the dry mixture and slowly add the wet. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until pistachio cream is incorporated.
4. Transfer mixture to another bowl. Wash and dry mixer bowl.
5. Whip egg whites with whip attachment on medium-high speed until foamy. With the mixer on medium speed, add cream of tarter and slowly add sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. Scoop a cupful of the stiff egg whites into the batter and stir to combine. This should lighten up the batter.
7. Transfer the egg whites to the batter and gently fold until there are no more streaks of egg white.
8. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tip: Cake flour is a must for chiffon. All-purpose won’t give you the same delicate texture.

pistachio cream

Rose Petal Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup rose petal jelly

1. Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. Add 3-4 cups of sifted powdered sugar and jelly, beat until combined.
3. Add more powdered sugar as needed to get to whatever consistency/sweetness you wish to acheive.

rose petal jelly

Assemble
1. Frost cooled cupcakes lightly with buttercream.
2. For pistachio garnish, grind up pistachios in a small food processor. take up some of the ground nuts into your hand and press the edges of the frosted cupcake into the mixture.
3. Otherwise top with edible rose bud or edible rose petal.

Chocolate and mint are a great combination, especially when you use fresh mint. I used chopped mint leaves steeped in cream to make the ganache filling. It is addictive on its own and I love the grassy taste of fresh mint.

The cupcakes are a slight variation on the recipe I have been using lately. The texture is a little less brownie like, but dense, moist, and not-to-sweet chocolatey, just like I like.

I opted for peppermint extract for the frosting. I was doubtful of the outcome, but went easy on the extract and was very happy with the results. I am allowing myself only a half of one of these which I will eat later, so I will have to update the post with the “tasting notes” of the end result.

Update: I ate my half a cupcake…
I have tasted a number of cupcakes in the past year and am a little jaded, you could say. But the combination of the cake and frosting in this recipe is amazing. I could have had a whole one. I will be honest, you can skip the filling and keep it simple, the cake and frosting alone make one hell of a tasty cupcake.

Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
3 sticks butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
8 eggs
1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt

1. chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
3. remove from heat and stir in sugar. 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. scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

cupcakes cooling

Chocolate-Mint Ganache

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

1. chop chocolate and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. heat cream and 1/4 cup mint until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream through strainer, over the chocolate.
3. let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. add butter and the remaining teaspoon of chopped mint and stir until combined.
5. let cool then transfer to the refrigerator to thicken, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

filling pastry bag

frosting cupcakes

Mint Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon all natural peppermint extract
1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and peppermint extract, beat until combined.
3. add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.

Note: I tried to keep the mint flavor subtle and not too overpowering. I recommend starting on the light side with 1/8 teaspoon or less and tasting to get the flavor you want.

Assemble
1. stuff the cupcakes with ganache using the cone method (cut out a cone shape from the top, cut off the pointy cone part, stuff the whole with filling, then put the top back on)
2. frost them.
3. top with something green (if you want), like a mint leaf, green candy, or whatever you fancy.

I have been very tempted to try a basil flavored cupcake. I made basil simple syrup a couple of weekends ago and picked up a selection of fruits to taste it with. My favorite match was most definitely basil and raspberry.

I finally got around to the cupcakes this weekend. I made a basic vanilla cupcakes, light and fresh raspberry mousse frosting, basil cream, and mint cream. I decided it would be easy enough to prepare fillings with basil and mint then see what combination I preferred.

The cupcakes turned out great, really fruity and fresh. I suggest serving them with some extra fruit… I wanted a raspberry with every bite. As it turns out, I prefer the mint. The taste was still herby like the basil, but not as distinct or distracting. It’s not that I didn’t like the basil. I did. I just feel like I would need to do something more, like find a third flavor to balance the two.

On a final note, I am looking forward to making a basil martini tonight with the left over syrup and some high quality vodka. Should be tasty…

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

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 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 20-22 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

baked cupcakes

Basil or Mint Cream

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
5 ounces basil or mint
1 cup heavy cream

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil, stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Chop basil or mint and add to the mixture.
3. Boil for 3 minutes.
4. Cool to room temperature.
5. Beat heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form add the five to six tablespoons of syrup to taste and beat until combined.

fresh basil

Raspberry Mousse Frosting

2 cups fresh raspberries, rinsed
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar

1. Combine raspberries and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Stir mixture until it is basically a liquid.
3. Stir in gelatin, continue to cook until dissolved.
4. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium sized bowl. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Beat heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Add the three tablespoons of sugar and beat until combined.
6. Mix about a third of the whipped cream into raspberry mixture until well combined.
7. Fold in remaining whipped cream.

Assemble
1. Using a small 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 of basil or mint cream.
3. Replace the top of the cone.
4. Pipe on the raspberry mousse and decorate with fresh herb and/or raspberries.

I wasn’t planning on baking this weekend. I was planning on “taking the weekend off”. But all it took was my friend asking, “What about cupcakes for Sunday night?”, and I was all over it. Any excuse to bake, I guess.

I was pressed for time, so I went with the cherry chocolate cupcakes again. Mostly because they were so good, my cousin hadn’t tried them yet, and I had all the ingredients. I did change the frosting from fennel cream cheese to fennel meringue because I was itching to use the blow torch.

The cherry chocolate cupcake is, I am convinced, a great recipe and a crowd pleaser. The meringue frosting is a bit tricky, and I need to work on the recipe some, but I am providing it here for the adventurous.

Fennel Meringue Frosting

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 egg whites

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of sugar and the water in a small pan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
2. Crush the fennel seeds slightly with a mortar and pestle.
3. Add the crushed seeds to the sugar and let boil over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is somewhat syrupy. See step 6 for what to consider when cooking the sugar syrup.
4. Whisk the egg whites and 1 cup of sugar over a water bath in the standing mixer bowl until it reaches a temperature of 110 degrees fahrenheit. This only takes only a couple of minutes.
5. Transfer to standing mixer and whisk using whisk attachment at high speed until soft peaks form.
6. Drizzle fennel syrup into the mixer. This part can be tricky. For one, you don’t want the syrup too watery or it can deflate the meringue. But if the syrup is cooked too much it could harden. Aim for a soft ball stage. If you see the meringue start to deflate put less of the syrup in and all of the fennel seeds.

Note: Once again, I had a lot of frosting left over. So, I spread it out on a silpat covered baking sheet, threw it in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, turned off the oven and left it there while we ate dinner. The result was like a big fennel, meringue cookie that was crispy, chewy, and tasty.

Assembly
1. Pipe meringue frosting onto cupcakes using a large star tip.
2. Using a blow torch, brown the meringue.