When I got the idea for this cupcake the weather in San Francisco was uncharacteristically balmy which got me thinking of ice cream. By the time I executed on the idea we are back in the typical pattern or blanketed in the chilling marine layer. None the less, this was a fun cupcake to make, the second along the idea of a “cupcake ice cream bombe”, my first attempt being the grean tea, lavender, honey bombe I made last summer.
I got the idea to use the crushed amaretti cookies from a Martha Stewart repeat I caught last week where the owner of Baked in Brooklyn used the same in a lemon tart crust. I have been wanting to do something with figs after having eaten a basket of them and the amaretti idea sealed the deal.
The cake recipe was completely off the cuff. I am not sure how it would translate to a full size cupcake (not sure how much it would rise and how full to the fill the cupcake papers), but the end result in the sheet pan was exactly what I was looking for, very moist and very almondy. I got the gelato recipe from here and I will admit it wasn’t what I was hoping for and didn’t resemble the fresh fig gelato I so enjoyed during one past trip to Italy. That being said, the resulting gelato was fine – I could definitely taste the fig, but I guess I wanted something creamier.
I am trying the cupcake for dessert tonight, so I will update the post with the “end result” a bit later.
Update: The flavor combination is great and I am loving the frosting. Very delicious. Not as tangy as cream cheese frosting, but not as sweet as butter cream. The fig gelato definitely needs to be creamier, but otherwise I am really liking this cupcake. I want to try it again, but with a non ice cream filling – almond cupcake with a fig filling that is.
Fresh Fig Gelato
14 ounces (350 g) perfectly ripe figs
1 lemon
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Peel the figs and blend the fig pulp with the juice of one lemon.
2. Combine the milk with the sugar and stir the mixture into the figs.
3. Freeze in an ice cream machine per the manufacturer’s directions.
fig gelato
Almond Cake
9″x13″ sheet pan / 350 degree oven
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, unsalted/room temp
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, large/room temp
60 grams amaretti cookies
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1. Prepare a 9″x13″ baking sheet by lightly coating with butter, covering with parchment paper, then lightly coating the parchment with butter.
2. Beat butter on high speed until soft, about 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 15 seconds after each.
5. Using a food processor, grind up amaretti cookies to the consistency of sand but with some chunky bits.
6. Measure out flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl. Add the amaretti cookie and whisk to combine.
7. Measure out the milk, almond extract, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
8. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
9. Add about one third the milk mixture and beat until combined.
10. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
11. Pour onto a prepared baking sheet and smooth out.
12. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
prepped sheet pan
amaretti cookies
crushed cookies
baked cake
Mascarpone Frosting
12 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/2 stick butter
4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1. Bring 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 mascarpone cheese at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar, almond extract and vanilla. Beat until combined.
5. Add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.
Note: This recipe makes more than enough frosting. I tend to like to make a full batch and freeze the leftovers for later (better than not having enough frosting), but you would be safe to cut the recipe in half if you are not interested in having leftovers.
Assembly
Recipe make approximately 10 cupcakes
1. Cut two rounds of cake for each cupcake that fit in the cupcake paper.
2. Put a round in each cupcake paper.
3. Fill with fig gelato leaving room for the top cake disk.
4. Place cupcakes in the freezer and chill for 1 hour.
5. Frost with mascarpone frosting and top with a decoration. Store in the freezer.
step 1
step 2
step 3
step 4
step 5
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