Wild Amaretto Cupcakes

Okay, so I have to say these by far are my least favorite that I have ever made. Sad, I know. I got the recipe from Primrose Bakery's cookbook. This is another England based bakery and I am starting to think they like their cake, well, really cake-y. So, eventhough I am not entirely happy with how they turned out, I will still post the recipe and wish you the best! The recipe calls for two different kinds of flour, but I recommend only using all-purpose flour. Normal vanilla cupcake recipes that yield for 12 like this recipe only call for about 1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, so you can play around with it. If I made these again I would not use the self-rising flour and put only 1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose. The frosting is pretty sweet, but it upheld better than any frosting I have ever made. Plus, the cake lady I have been working with (which I will get to in another post) said the frosting was good!

Here is the recipe...Happy baking!

Amaretto Cupcakes
Recipe from: "Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery"

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 2% reduced fat milk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur or almond extract

For the syrup:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur or Almond extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3 to 5 minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition.

Sift the two flours together into a seperate bowl. Mix the milk and the Amaretto together. Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in one-third of the milk and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added.

Carefully spoon the mixture into the cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a wooden skewer in the center of one of the cupcakes -it should come out clean.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the syrup in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high until sugar melts completely (about 1 1/2 minutes); stir to combine. Alternatively heat over a low heat in a saucepan.

Remove cupcakes from the oven and leave in the pan for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack. While they are still warm, dip the tops of the cupcakes into the syrup for a couple of seconds. Return to the wire rack to cool completely.


For the frosting:

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup 2% reduced fat milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur or almond extract (add a little more depending on taste)

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract, and half the confectioners' sugar until smooth - this will take a few minutes using an electric hand mixer. Gradually add the remainder of the confectioners' sugar to produce a buttercream of a creamy and smooth consistency.

Add the Amaretto and beat well. Taste the frosting and decide if you want to add more Amaretto.

Frost cupcakes! You can decorate with slivered almonds. (or make them wild like I did with animal print cupcake liners, bright pink frosting, and black sugar sprinkles!!)