"Surprise" Vanillia Cupcakes

“Surprise” Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Cupcakes:                                      

2 ¼ cup Cake Flour

1 T Baking Powder

½ tsp Kosher Salt

1 ¼ cup whole milk

4 large Eggs Whites

8 T unsalted butters, room temperature

1 ½ cup sugar

Vanilla Bean Seeds scraped from one vanilla bean.

2 tsp clear Vanilla Extract

 

Filling:  Apple Pie Filling

 

Butter Cream Frosting:

3 sticks Unsalted Butter

Vanilla Bean Seeds scraped from one vanilla bean

2 tsp Clear Vanilla Extact

1 ½ lbs Powdered Sugar, sifted

4-8 T Heavy Whipping Cream

1/8 tsp salt                                                                                         

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cupcake pan with your choice of paper liners.

Bake cupcakes on center rack in oven.

 

In a separate bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another separate bowl mix egg whites and whole milk until well blended.  Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds, on medium speed with your electric mixer, until light and fluffy.  While the mixer continues at medium speed, add the vanilla extract and 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Then beat in half of the wet mixture, following up with half of the remaining dry ingredients.  When everything is well blended, add the rest of the wet mixture.  Follow that up with the remaining dry ingredients.  Now that everything is in the bowl, beat for a couple more minutes on medium speed until everything is well incorporated.  Mixture should be light.

I like to make regular sized cupcakes for this recipe, so I scoop the batter into my cupcake pan with a large ice cream scoop.  Bake for 15 – 25 minutes until not quite brown.  Best way to tell if they are done is by putting a toothpick in the center on an inside cupcake.  If it comes out clean, then they are done.  Let these cool completely before you even think about filling them.

To fill your cupcakes:  Don’t be intimidated when it comes to filling a cupcake – it really is very easy.  For this cupcake the filling is a little heavy so I use an apple corer to take the center of the cupcake out.  I have seen some cupcake corers but they seem a little large for this type of filling.  You will not need these cupcake “cores” so they might make a well deserved snack while you are working so hard.

Take your apple pie filling and chop it into workable pieces.  (I put mine in the food processor and pulse until the pieces are fine [not as fine as applesauce]) and then put in a large plastic bag for piping into the cupcakes.  Cut ¼ to ½ inch off of the corner of your plastic bag.  Squeeze the pie filling until it comes out the cut corner of the bag and fill your cupcakes.  This method is a lot less messy than trying to spoon the filling in.

Finally the Buttercream Frosting.  I like to use the whisk attachment on my mixer.  Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy.  Add the extract and vanilla bean seeds.  Add 2 tablespoons of the cream and half of the sugar and mix.  Add 2 more tablespoons of cream and the remaining sugar.  Beat until well incorporated.  At this point you can decide for yourself the texture of your frosting.  I like mine to be a little stiff for piping, but if you like yours looser – add more cream just a little at a time until your desired texture.  Once you have the icing how you like it, then add in your salt and mix well – at least 3 more minutes on medium speed. 

All you have to do is put your frosting on.  I like to pipe my frosting on using a disposable cake decorating bag and a cake decorating tip # 1M.  If you are piping, make sure you start from the outside of the cupcake making a complete circle and working your way into the center.  This way your pie filling will not get into your frosting and will remain a surprise.