Eyeball Mini Cakes
Serves: 3
Darlene Legros
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
44
Spice
58
Sweetness
43
Sourness
47
mins
Prep time (avg)
4.8
Difficulty
Ingredients:
1.5 cups
Sugar2 tsps
Baking Powder1 tsp
Salt1.5 cups
All-Purpose Flour1 cup
Pastry Flour1 tbsp
Vanilla Extract10
Egg Whites3 cup
Pumpkin (pureed)430 g
Granulated SugarDirections:
1
Special equipment: Stand mixer with a 5 quart bowl and whip attachment Rubber Spatula Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray 2 standard cupcake tins
2
In an electric mixer on low speed, combine the sugar and butter until well mixed
3
Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 5 minutes
4
In a large bowl whisk together the baking powder, salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
5
In a separate smaller bowl whisk together the vanilla extract and egg whites, mixing well
6
Stir the pumpkin puree into the whites just until incorporated
7
In the bowl with the creamed butter and sugar add the flour and pumpkin mixtures about 1/3 at a time, mixing until just incorporated, ending with the pumpkin
8
Scrape down the bowl and beater and remove the beaters
9
With a rubber spatula fold the batter until it is one even color
10
Fold in the mini chocolate chips
11
Fill the prepared cupcake tin filling until the cups are almost full
12
Dip your fingers in a little bit of water and use it to pat down the mixture in each cup
13
Put the tin in the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes
14
Transfer the tin to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature
15
Divide the buttercream
16
Leave the majority white for the base frosting and color approximately a quarter of the white in 3 portions with red, blue, and red and blue mixed together coloring (to make a black portion) to pipe the eyes
17
Unmold the cupcakes onto a work surface
18
Frost the cupcakes with the white buttercream and smooth it out with a knife or a small offset spatula
19
Fill 3 pastry bags with the blue buttercream (fitted with a ribbon tip) and the black and red butter cream (both fitted with small plain tips)
20
Pipe on the iris of the eyes with blue buttercream
21
Pipe in the pupil with the black buttercream, also add a couple of black lines to the iris, as well
22
Pipe on veins using the red buttercream
23
Make sure to have a completely clean and dry bowl when you start your process, any fat or liquid at all in the bowl will stunt the protein development of the albumen (egg white protein) and you will not have a proper meringue at the end, the results could be disastrous
24
Start whipping the egg whites slowly in the mixer by themselves (no sugar or butter yet) until the whites are foamy
25
Increase the speed of the mixer and slowly start adding the sugar until all the sugar is incorporated
26
Once all the sugar is combined, increase the speed of the mixer even further and whip until the mixture is shiny and stiff
27
You now have a meringue
28
You know when your meringue is done when you pull out the whip, hold it horizontally, and you have what looks a "sparrow's beak" on the end of the whip
29
Replace the whip, turn the mixer on medium and start adding the butter a bit at a time, once all the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer on high and leave it for a while
30
Depending on the weather, the buttercream could take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to form
31
You will know when it has formed when you hear the motor of the mixer starting to slow down and whine a little bit
32
Also when you first add the butter, your meringue will break down and look nasty, this is good and is what you want
33
When the buttercream is done, the mixture will be homogeneous and consistent
34
And tasty
35
Remove the buttercream from the bowl and put in an airtight container
36
Buttercream can be kept at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 weeks, but always use warm buttercream when icing a cake
37
To warm up the buttercream, put it back in the mixer using the whip or the paddle, and apply direct heat to the mixer bowl with a propane torch you can find at any hardware store
38
Food coloring method