White Cupcakes With Meringue Frosting Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract. Add the flour mixer and milk alternately. Fill liners 2/3 full with the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 23 minutes.
• Bring a pan of water to simmer. Combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place bowl on top of the pan; whisk until sugar dissolves.
• Attach bowl to the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat until stiff peaks form and mixture is cool and glossy. Add butter a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until buttercream is smooth.
• Cool cupcakes in the tins for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool, about 20 minutes. Frost cupcakes with the buttercream.

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, the corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons water to a boil, stirring. Wash down side of pan with a wet pastry brush, and cook sugar syrup, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 230 degrees.
• Meanwhile, beat egg whites with a mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Add sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream down side of bowl. Beat on high speed until thick, fluffy, and cool, about 7 minutes.

Steps:

• Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.
• Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.
• Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add vanilla, and beat just until combined.
• Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan or two 24-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners; lightly spray the liners with cooking spray. Soak the prunes in a bowl with 3/4 cup hot water until softened, about 10 minutes. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth.
• Whisk the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the prune puree, brown sugar, eggs, yogurt, vegetable oil and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (it's fine if there are a few lumps).
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes for standard-size cupcakes, or 12 to 14 minutes for minis. Transfer to a rack and let cool in the pan, 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan. Transfer the egg white mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Sift in the cocoa powder and add the vanilla and orange zest; beat to combine. Spread the frosting on the cupcakes.

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in the mixer bowl and whisk until well combined. Fill a saucepan with water about (2-3 cups). The saucepan should be large enough for the mixer bowl to "rest in it" but without touching the bottom of the saucepan.
• When the water is shimmering place the bowl in the sauce pan and whisk the mixture. The mixture must not boil. Whisk until all the sugar is dissolved or you will end up with a grainy looking frosting. Check to see if it has reached a temperature of 160-170 F (70-75 C) Remove from the saucepan.
• Place the bowl in the kitchen mixer with the whisk attachment on. Whisk the meringue frosting until stiff peaks forms and has a glossy look. This can take up to 12 -15 minutes or more.
• When the white meringue frosting is ready, you can use it as it is or color it with food gel colors. This frosting will crust over time but the center of the frosting swirl will still be thick and fluffy.