This week my kitchen was a little cuppycake-making factory. Well...okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I did make many little cakelettes...all destined for the office.
This week a very wonderful person decided, after 30 years at the company, it was time to retire. We'll miss her wisdom, sense of humour and down-to-earth nature--any woman (of a certain age) who still harbours lusty thoughts for men in uniform (specifically motorcycle cops' jodhpurs and "fantasy boots") is a gem.As a special thank you for everything she's done, I whipped up a bunch of my vanilla cupcakes, topped them with pastel-tinted royal icing (pale rose, blue and lavender) and sprinkled rose petals, sugary flowers lavender on top.
The other cupcake event was my sixth anniversary at my current company. Our tradition is that we bring in the treats (unless it's a surprise or a major milestone). Given the recent warm weather, light and sunshiney lemon poppyseed cakes came into fruition.The texture is a cross between an angel cake, a regular cake, and a meringue. It's almost snow-white crumb was light and refreshingly lemony. One of my colleagues said it was the perfect after-lunch sweet because it wasn't too sweet nor too heavy. After the cakes cooled, I spread some blueberry butter (akin to jam) on each one, and then topped them with cream cheese icing.
Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes
adapted from an Anna Olson recipe
Yield: 24 cakelettes
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
225g vanilla sugar
200g cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
125ml lemon juice
3 Tbsp poppyseeds
Preheat oven to 325F/170C and line cupcake pans.
Whip egg whites, cream of tartar and 75g sugar to a glossy, soft peak stage and set aside; in a second bowl mix the yolks and lemon juice. Whisk together the sugar, flour and salt, then mix in the lemony-yolky mixture and beat until thick. Stir in the poppyseeds. Fold in the whites, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Spoon into cupcake liners and bake for 40 minutes or until done (a skewer will come out cleanly and the tops will be a pale golden).
cheers!
jasmine
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Have to be good with cream cheese frosting. These look so tender!
ReplyDeletewhat a nice way to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking the same thing as Tanna actually - these sound like they would be marvellous with a little sweetened cream cheese frosting!
ReplyDeleteI love baked goods that use cream of tarter. I will have to give these a try.
ReplyDeleteLovely cuppycakes, Jasmine! I love the soft colours!
ReplyDeleteThey look so sweet and yummy!
ReplyDeletexoxo
It makes them even better when you call them cuppycakes!
ReplyDeleteha ha, thanks. I've been reading your blog for a long time-- it helped give me the courage to start blogging myself!
ReplyDeleteThe rebel is fantastic. I bought it and the lenses as separates (much cheaper)--- it's really a great camera to grow into.
Love the name and the look. What a nice way to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe.
miam,miam!!!!
ReplyDeleteAdorable cupcakes! I was just saying the other day how rare it is to see cupcakes in a bakery nowadays. Maybe it's just where I am, I hear New Yorkers are pretty devoted to them.
ReplyDeleteWonderful blog, BTW.
A fellow Canadian.
Hello all
ReplyDeleteTanna and Ellie: Cream cheese icing is a favourite and pairs nicely with the cakes.
Kat, Peabody, Gilly, Lis, Brilynn and Helene: I wish you could have been here to share!
Sarah: Welcome and thanks for the kind words...I was looking at the camera this weekend...perhaps for next year.
Lory: Bienvenue!
Aimee: Bienvenue aussi! I know what you mean. Mind you, most of the cupcakes I see up here are gargantuan in size, and really aren't *cup*caes...more more like pintcakes...or quartcakes.
j