Apprentice

This month Baker’s Apprentice covers Cupcakes: Two sweet and one savory cupcakes.

Note: The technique for High-Hat cupcakes is especially important, but the recipes are

well adjusted to the tropical climate of India. Amul butter, regular maida, and other

very easily available locally sourced ingredients have been used in the preparation.

The High-hat cupcake frosting is based on Marta Stewart’s technique.

The Chocolate cupcake cake is from a book called Cupcakes.

The Chai cupcakes and frosting have been derived from the book The Big Book

of Treats.

The Tomato and Cheese muffin recipe is a modified version of the recipe

available on the BBC Food website to suit Indian ingredients.

Since this is a guided baking session that aims to introduce you to baking, it is advisable

that you do not alter the ingredients. If any of the ingredients and compositions are

changed and something goes wrong, it will be difficult to assess the cause. I have used

commonly available ingredients.

However some flavor combinations can be changed and I have mentioned them in

the recipe. Experienced bakers who wish to bake along can make any changes they

wish.

High Hat cupcakes About 1 hour + baking time

Chai cupcakes 20 minutes + baking time

Tomato and cheese muffins 20 mins + baking time

Servings: Makes 24 cupcakes

2 cups maida

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

A pinch of salt

1 and ½ cup castor sugar

2 eggs

8 tablespoon melted butter

1 cup plain yoghurt

½ cup warm milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 and ½ cup chocolate chips

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Sift it so

that it gets aerated and there are no chunks of baking powder or soda.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk butter till pale and add sugar. Mix well.

3. Then add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk into the butter.

4. Mix in the yoghurt and vanilla.

5. With a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients and the milk in two additions.

Tip: Always start and end with the dry ingredients.

6. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C for 5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, line a muffin pan with paper liners. Drop the batter into the pan

and bake for 20 minutes till a skewer inserted in the center comes clean.

8. Let it cool in the pan and then on a wire grill completely before frosting.

• 3 large egg whites

• 1 and ¾ cup castor sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large heatproof bowl, mix all the ingredients and whisk with a manual

whisk or a hand held blender till it forms soft peaks.

2. In another vessel, heat water till it simmers.

3. Put this bowl with egg whites on the vessel over the stove. Whisk continuously

till it forms stiff peaks and the temperature of the egg whites goes up to 70 C

on a candy thermometer. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, keep it

whisking on the simmering water for 10 minutes, it reaches about that

temperature and then egg whites are safe to be consumed.

4. Remove from heat and keep whisking till it cools down considerably and

frosting thickens.

5. Do not stop whisking in the entire process or egg whites will curdle.

6. Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a big round nozzle.

• 2 cups chopped chocolate

• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Combine chopped chocolate and oil in a microwave safe bowl and heat

it in bursts of 20 seconds, whisking in between, till all chocolate is melted.

Alternately, you can heat it over double boiler.

2. Let it cool to room temperature.

3. If the chocolate hardens by the time you are ready to dip, heat it in

microwave for 30 seconds and it will be liquid.

Now the cupcakes are ready to be frosted and dipped.

1. Frost a high pile of the meringue frosting on each of the cupcakes. Refrigerate

for a couple of minutes before dipping in chocolate.

2. Keep the melted chocolate in a high wide glass. I used a measuring cup for it.

3. Now grab each cupcake by its bottom and carefully dip it into the melted

chocolate and remove it. Don’t worry, it will stay put. The meringue will not

melt, you have my word!

4. Put it in the fridge and let it sit for half hour before cutting.

5. You high-hat cupcakes are ready!

Alternately, for eggless cupcakes you can use this recipe:

http://sizzleanddrizzle.com/2015/12/25/eggless-ginger-orange-chocolate-cake-calbakes/

And for a chocolate frosting which works in place of meringue you can use this frosting:

http://sizzleanddrizzle.com/2015/07/11/kitkatcake/

Servings: Makes 12 cupcakes

For Cupcakes

• 150 gram maida

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 100 gram Amul butter – at room temperature

• 200 gram castor sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

• 2 eggs

• 80 ml chai – freshly brewed without sugar and milk

• Basil leaves and lemon grass while brewing tea

For Frosting

• 100 gram butter

• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder

• 225 gram icing sugar

• 1 tablespoon milk

• Few basil (tulsi) flowers

1. Whisk the maida and baking powder together and sift it.

2. In another bowl, whisk butter and add sugar and vanilla essence.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating it well into the mixture.

4. Add the brewed chai to the batter, mix well.

5. Then fold in the flour mixture with a spatula.

6. Preheat oven to 170 for 5 minutes.

7. Line a muffin pan with paper cups. Fill it with the batter.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes till a skewer inserted in the center comes clean.

9. To make the frosting, cream butter and then add all the ingredients together and

whisk well till it forms a smooth icing. Fill it in a piping bag with nozzle of your

choice.

10. Once the cupcakes are cooled, pipe the frosting on the cupcakes. Decorate

with basil flower stems.

Servings: Makes 12 cupcakes

For Cupcakes

• 275 gram plain flour- maida

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 225 ml milk

• 100 gram butter, melted

• 20 cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 100 gram cheddar chesse, grated

• 1 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper, optional

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, add melted butter and milk and whisk. Add

crushed pepper.

3. Now stir in tomatoes and cheese.

4. Fold in the flour.

5. Preheat oven to 170 C and line with paper cups.

6. Fill the pan and bake for 25 minutes till the tops are brown and a skewer

inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Let it cool slightly before removing from the pan.

8. Eat warm with some ketchup.