A friend of mine once declared that only women love cupcakes. No exceptions. I was simultaneously outraged at such a sexist remark and disappointed on behalf of these hypothetical men who apparently aren’t allowed to be into tiny cakes with sprinkles. I mean, who doesn’t love a good cupcake? Surely women aren’t the only ones who enjoy the soft bounce of the sponge like cakes, the sweetness of the icing and the playful colours and decorations. Say what you will about cakes in general, cupcakes have always been a crowd pleaser in my book! The idea that only one demographic can love this classic dessert is outrageous! On behalf of these men who have been so cruelly deprived, I say ‘Let them eat (cup)cake!’
Well, Ice Cream Cupcakes if you want to be precise. I admit, that title is kind of misleading. These are not cupcakes made of ice cream, rather cupcakes iced with ice cream. That’s right, you heard me right. No piping bags. no powdered sugar. Just a perfect, pretty scoop of ice cream.
Before we go any further we need to discuss methods of consumption:
Your first option is perfect for when you cupcakes are still fresh and warm from the oven. Serve in a bowl with a spoon, allowing the ice cream to get all melty over the warm cake base. The cold, gooey ice cream combined with the warm cake sponge is, unsurprisingly, a delight.
The second is, in my opinion, the correct way to eat cupcakes in general. Twist the base of your cupcake away from the top, separating into two halves. Take the bottom half and press down onto the icing (or ice cream in this case) and enjoy as a mini cake sandwich. Trust me, if you’re not eating your cupcakes this way you soon will be. No more awkwardly trying to get your mouth around both the cake base and the too-tall mound of icing. Once you try it, you’ll never go back!
INGREDIENTS:
Cupcakes (recipe below)
Icecream
Toppings & Sprinkles |
1. Using a serrated knife, cut the top off of any cupcakes that have risen unevenly, this will help the ice cream to stay on top of the cake. (You don’t need to cut off too much, just enough to have a flat surface for the ice cream to sit on.2. Top each cupcake with a scoop of ice cream (in your choice of flavour). The key to getting a nice round ball of ice cream is to dip your ice cream scoop into a glass of hot water in between cakes. The warmth of the spoon will stop the ice cream from sticking to the metal.3. Finish with your choice of toppings; I used leftover strawberry syrup from those delicious strawberry floats, chocolate topping, mini marshmallows, and good old fashioned sprinkles. If your cupcakes are still warm, serve immediately in a bowl. If not, return to the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up before serving. |
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Classic Vanilla Cupcakes
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INGREDIENTS:
2¾ cups of cake flour
1⅔ cups of sugar
¾ teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
12 tablespoons of softened butter
4 egg whites, plus 1 whole egg
1 cup of milk
3 teaspoons of vanilla |
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.2. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in the bowl until well combined.3. Add the softened butter, a small amount at a time, allowing the butter to combine before adding the next part. With your mixer on low speed, add one egg white at a time, followed by the whole egg. Ensure each egg white is completely incorporated before adding the next.
4. In a separate bowl, add milk and vanilla extract and whisk together. With the mixer on low again, add the milk mixture a small amount at a time, allowing the dry and wet ingredients to combine properly in between additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go and after adding all the mixture, continue to beat for an additional minute or two.
5. Line a cupcake tray with cupcake wrappers and spoon the batter into each, filling around 2/4 of the way.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 16 – 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool before serving.
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