Confetti Cupcakes

I must admit, I am not a regular when it comes to participating in blog events. Not that I don't want to, in fact I would love to participate - its just that I find it too much of an effort to come up with a recipe which meets the event specifications. I hope I don't sound pompous when I say this, but I cook or bake whatever is or has been cooking in my mind. Many a times its also the 'I see now, got to try it the next instant' kind of recipe, the kind which makes me run to my kitchen, don my apron and get started at it. And yeah, finish it by the time my daughter comes back from school:-)) 

 I read about Srivalli's 'Tried and Tasted' event featuring one of my favorite blogs!  Aparna's My Diverse Kitchen has been one of my most visited blogs since the time I woke up to food blogs. And she is one blogger I am in awe of - for her superb collection of recipes, her picture perfect photographs and her elegant style of writing. Oh, how I would love to try each of her tested recipes - this is exactly where indecisive me got stuck for a long time. Breads, my new love, was one of the things I spent a lot of time browsing and drooling over. But when yeast did not oblige a couple of times, I ran back to my old love - cakes and desserts. With just a day left to send in my entry, these colorful and delightful Confetti Cupcakes, at last materialized on my table.

If you have kids around, these are a must bake! Try stopping kids from squealing in delight when they see these cupcakes or try stopping them from asking for a second or third serving!! Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe Aparna!!

Recipe source - Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen . Original recipe from Baking Bites

 

 Funfetti Cupcakes
1/2 cup milk
3 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract ( I have used a total of 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract as I do not have almond extract)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, soft
2 tbsp rainbow sprinkles

Method: Preheat oven to 180 degrees C(350 F)

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a measuring cup, whisk together milk, egg whites and extracts. Set aside .In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large bowl if you prefer to work by hand), combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir to combine. Cut in butter with the paddle attachment at low speed (or cut in by hand), until mixture is coarse and sandy. Add milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl and continue beating for 20-30 seconds. Stir in sprinkles. Divide batter evenly into prepared tin.( I could not resist adding a few sprinkles on top) Bake for for 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.
Makes 12.

Marshmallow Frosting. Yummy, soft and real creamy frosting.

I have halved this recipe and it was enough to frost my 15 medium sized cupcakes. I have used 1/2 cup of sugar, which I found, was a bit too sweet for me. I may try with 1/3 cup sugar next time.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar (less than a cup should work fine if you like your frosting just about sweet)
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons light corn syrup(I have used honey)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method: Whisk sugar, egg whites, 1/3 cup water, light corn syrup, and cream of tartar in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch simmering water). Using hand-held electric mixer, beat on medium speed until mixture resembles soft marshmallow fluff, about 4 minutes.

Increase mixer speed to high and beat until mixture is very thick, about 3 minutes longer. Remove bowl from over simmering water. Add vanilla extract and continue beating until marshmallow frosting is completely cool, about 5 minutes longer.

When cool, frost cupcakes and add more sprinkles, if desired.

I was scared that the color of the sprinkles would run if I mixed it into the batter enough to get it uniformly distributed. More specks would have looked better. Do not add too many sprinkles to add more color as the cupcakes may taste way too sweet when eaten with the frosting.

These cupcakes go to Srivalli's Tried And Tasted event featuring Aparna's blog.

And as always, these also go to Champa's Bake -Off.