GF White Easter Egg Cupcakes
How about serving some of these cute cupcakes this Easter? The white chocolate buttercream is totally velvety, sweet, and makes a nice nest for the chocolate shavings and candy eggs. Check out the directions for shortcut version using our Yes You Can cake mix.
GF White Easter Egg Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 2/3 c (scant 7 oz) Better Batter All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter or df margarine, melted
- 3/4 c granulated sugar
- 3/4 c whole milk or df alternative (we like So Delicious)
- 1/4 c plain yogurt or sour cream or df alternative (we like So Delicious plain yogurt)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 egg whites or 1/2 c aquafaba
For the White Chocolate Buttercream:
- 2/3 cup (4 oz) white chocolate chips, melted and cooled (you can source df white chocolate if you wish)
- 5 oz cream cheese, room temperature (or df alternative like Tofutti or Daiya brand)
- 3 Tbl unsalted butter or df margarine, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 c powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbl milk or df sub, optional for thinning buttercream
For the Garnish:
- 1 oz chunk of chocolate for making chocolate curls (you can use any good chocolate)
- Hershey's egg-shaped candy coasted chocolates - make sure not to use malted ones, which have gluten! - OR jelly beans
- These cupcakes are best when you use paper liners.
Instructions
Preheat and Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners Set aside.
Mix the Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mix the Wet Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter or margarine, sugar, milk, yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla.
Add the Wet Ingredients to the dry mixture and mix until just combined. Set aside.
Whip the egg whites or aquafaba. With a stand mixer and the whisk attachment or a handheld electric mixer and a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. If you are using aquafaba, this will take about 15-20 minutes, but don't worry - and be patient - it will work!
Gently fold the whipped foam into the batter being careful not to deflate the foam, until combined. Spoon the batter into the paper liners.
Bake. Bake the standard size cupcakes for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before adding frosting and garnish.
Prepare the Buttercream.While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare this frosting.
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave on low in 30 second increments, stirring frequently, until completely melted - be extra careful about this - white chocolate burns easily! Let the chocolate cool about 5 minutes.
Make Buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed for 1- minutes. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla and beat one additional minute. Beat in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on high speed. If the buttercream is too stiff for piping, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time to thin slightly.
Scoop into a piping bag or zip top bag with the corner trimmed off. Pipe onto the cupcakes.
Garnish.Use a vegetable peeler to shave the chocolate into long strips or curls. Sprinkle over piped frosting and top with chocolate candies. Store in the refrigerator if not eating within 24 hours.
Cooling and Serve. Allow cupcakes to come to room temperature 30-60 minutes before serving. Makes 12 standard size cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes.
Adapted from Jen L's version of a Garnish & Glaze recipe
