Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Have you ever bought a cookbook based on the appeal of just one recipe? Well, I certainly have. And mostly, they seem to be Martha Stewart Cookbooks.

I bought Martha’s “Cupcakes” cookbook, after finding out there was a recipe for these snickerdoodle cupcakes. I LOVE snickerdoodles, but Noel’s not such a fan. But I was hopeful that I could lure him away from his dislike with some cupcake magic. That was back in early October. Soon after the book arrived I got the plague, then it was Thanksgiving, then December holidays, and before I knew it Christmas was staring me in the face. I had one chance left to use the cookbook before the new year–the office Holiday Extravaganza (their word not mine!)

Our Holiday Extravaganza is a potluck affair, with some catered sandwiches and a fantastic white elephant game. Expectations in the office are high when it comes to my baked goods, so I thought a Martha recipe would be a surefire way to success. Let’s just say it was half surefire.

Half? The cupcakes were a breeze. They mixed up quick and easy, and tasted FANTASTIC. Imagine 1-2-3-4 cake with snickerdoodle flair. But then I got to the icing, 7 minute icing. Martha claimed this icing was simple and quick. And it created these darling little dollops on top of the cupcakes. I gathered my ingredients and started making the icing. I don’t have a candy thermometer, so I winged it a bit to get the syrup to the right temperature. I added the hot syrup to my stiff egg whites and waited for the 7 minutes to pass. After 7 minutes I checked, and what did I have? Sugary egg white soup! GAH! No peaks–stiff, soft, or otherwise–had formed. Double GAH! Determined not to waste 6 perfectly good egg whites, I thought fast. The technique for making the icing had been similar to what I remembered using to make swiss meringue buttercream, minus the addition of butter. What if I added butter to this mix to see what would happen? I made the executive decision. The butter was going in. Four sticks later there was icing, and the need for a good stiff drink.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone’s Favorite Treat, the recipe is also available online here

As I’ve already said, these cupcakes are wonderful. But if you want to use 7 minute icing, I recommend that you use a different recipe, since Martha’s recipe totally FAILED for me. There are lots of recipes online for 7 minute icing. But these cupcakes were also excellent with the fake swiss meringue buttercream I made (recipe below), dusted with cinnamon and sugar.

Ingredients:

For Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk

For Icing:

• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 pound (4 sticks) of butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Make Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Make Icing: Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with the water and corn syrup in a small saucepan; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230 degrees.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating to combine.

As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees, remove from heat. With mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup down side of bowl in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to medium-high; whisk until mixture is completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl) and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 7 minutes. If your stiff peaks never form (like mine!) then add sticks of butter, one at a time beating with paddle attachment until icing is fluffy.

To finish, combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar. Ice cupcakes, either using a knife or a pastry bag and tip to apply the icing. Dust with cinnamon and sugar. Cupcakes are best eaten within 24 hours of icing.

These were a big hit. And the dollop of icing gave the look I was going for, even if I didn’t have the magic Martha icing.

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