Pastries
ITALIAN CUPCAKES
When I was growing up in Italy, get-togethers with family and friends were very common. When it was my family’s turn to host, my nonna would prepare food/snacks that were easy to serve to a big crowd. She’d make individual panini with two different fillings, and these amazing cupcakes for dessert, which were actually mini-rum cakes. Needless to say, the cupcakes were always a hit!
ITALIAN CUPCAKES
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
4 large eggs (room temperature)
120 gr sugar (1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP)
120 gr 00 flour (1 cup - do not pack!)
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
For the filling:
Custard
Maraschino cherries plus their juice
Rum (optional)
Directions:
Make custard following these directions from my website:
https://www.nonnaantoinette.com/recipe/crema-pasticcera
Preheat oven to 360F.
Line a 12 muffin/cupcake pan with paper liners.
Sift flour and baking powder twice.
Set aside.
Place eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment.
Whisk at medium-high speed for at least 10 minutes to achieve a frothy and stiff consistency.
Remove whisk and bowl from mixer.
Using a spatula, gently incorporate flour, a little at a time, into the egg mixture.
Do not overmix or you will deflate the batter.
Pour some batter into each cupcake liner to 3/4 filled.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely before filling.
Cut a well in each cupcake top carefully with a pointy knife.
Set all tops aside.
Fill a piping bag with star tip with cold custard.
Moisten the well of each cupcake with a little maraschino cherry liquid and a touch of rum, if using.
Pipe custard in each well opening, making a mound (see picture).
Place a cherry on top.
Cut each cupcake top in half.
Place the two pieces on either side of the cherry.
Repeat until all are done.
Place in sealed Tupperware container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Makes 12 cupcakes.
TIPS:
The custard recipe included is enough for 24 cupcakes. You can cut the ingredients in half to make enough for only 12 cupcakes…if you don’t want leftovers (said no one ever! lol).
This cupcake recipe is the one my nonna and I used in Italy (the sponge cake recipe called Pan di Spagna). If you find it challenging, just use a regular Vanilla cupcake recipe or, if in a hurry, use an extra moist yellow cake mix.
When I cut the well in the cupcakes, I try to go at an angle, as deep as possible without cutting the bottoms. You will end up with cone-shape top pieces. Cut off the pointy parts to achieve a coin-shape sponge, which is easier to cut in half and assemble.