Neapolitan Cupcakes
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time:
Cooking time:
- 50g/1.7 ozs butter
- 250g/8.83 ozs cream cheese
- 100 ml/3.5 fl ozs milk
- 60g/2ozs plain flour
- 20g/0.7oz cornflour
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g/5ozs fine granulated sugar
- 6 eggs, separated
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa, sifted
Strawberry buttercream
- 160g/5.65ozs. softened butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Strawberry essence (you can also replace the milk with 2 tablespoons sieved strawberry puree)
- A tiny amount of pink colouring
- 650g/23ozs. icing or powdered sugar, sifted
Macarons - see recipe here and make pink and brown shells plus vanilla buttercream
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 160C/320F and line a cupcake tray with white or very pale pastel liners. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture over an ice bath. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, 6 egg yolks, lemon juice and salt and mix well.
Step 2 - Whisk 6 egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add a couple of tablespoons of the white mixture to the main mixture to loosen it and then add the rest in two batches combining gently.
Step 3 - Divide the mixture in two and add the sifted cocoa to one and fold gently. Spoon or pipe into prepared cupcake liners. Then top with the vanilla mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Cool completely.
Step 4 - Beat the butter in a mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the milk, essence, colour and the icing sugar at a very low speed. Once the sugar is completely combined, increase the speed until fluffy. Place in a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle (or use a star one, whatever you fancy really). Pipe onto cold cupcakes.
Step 5 - For macarons, match similar sized shells for pink and chocolate macarons. Fill with vanilla buttercream. To get the frill effect, use a star tip and trace around the outside and then the inside. Place on top of cupcakes.