Enough for Me to Share

Heaven in each bite. From Snickerdoodles to Strawberries, each one is filled with fun. I just love making these little beauties. I know some of you have been dying, not literally, to have my delicious cupcake recipes. Here's to you, all of you cupcake lovers, Cupcakes All Around!

My first trial included a little cinnamon sugar. Snickerdoodle cupcakes it was. They were so fun to bake, yet so easy to eat. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
1 cup  (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and one tablespoon cinnamon.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

3. Dived batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely (I waited about 2 minutes, and then removed them with a fork) before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days a room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months in airtight containers.

Seven-Minute Frosting
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 large egg whites room temperature

1a. Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with the water and corn syrup in a small sauce pan; clip a candy thermometer to side of the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling without stirring, until syrup reaches 230 degrees F.

2a. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk eggs on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating to combine.

3a. As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees F, remove from heat. With mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup down side of bowl in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to medium-high; whisk until mixture is completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl) and stiff (but not dry) peaks for about seven minutes. Use Immediately.

4. To finish combine remaining half teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe frosting on each cupcake: Hold bag over cupcake with tip just above top, and squeeze to create a dome of frosting then release pressure and pull up to form a peak. Using a small, fine sieve, dust peaks with cinnamon-sugar. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are frosted;keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Courtesy of Martha herself and with love from Yours Truly.