Gingerbread Cupcakes With Lemon Curd Filling And Whipped Cream Frosting Recipe 445

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a parchment round.
• Stir together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• Combine the brown sugar and butter in another large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined (it's fine if the mixture looks a little curdled).
• Stir the molasses into the boiling water in a large spouted measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the molasses mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium and beat just until smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 22 to 27 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on a wire rack. Once cool, invert the cakes onto the rack, then peel off and discard the parchment.
• For the frosting: Combine the butter and cream cheese in a clean mixer bowl. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the confectioner's' sugar, beating until combined. Add the vanilla and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, adding up to 1 tablespoon of milk if needed so the frosting is spreadable.
• Place one cake layer flat-side down on a cake stand or platter. Top with about 3/4 cup of the frosting, spreading almost to the edges using an offset spatula. Place the remaining cake layer on top, flat-side up. Spread the remaining frosting on the entire cake and smooth the top and sides with the offset spatula. Refrigerate the cake while you decorate the gingerbread cookies.
• For the decorations: Meanwhile, microwave the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl until just melted. (Alternatively, melt the chips in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; do not let bowl touch the water.) Let cool slightly and put into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip (or use a plastic ziptop bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe eyes and smiles on the gingerbread cookie faces.
• Arrange the merry gingerbread men side by side around the bottom edge of the cake, pressing in slightly to adhere. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the nonpareils.

Steps:

• For lemon curd, in a heavy saucepan, cook and stir the sugar, lemon juice and butter until smooth. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to pan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes longer or until thickened. Stir in lemon zest. Cool for 10 minutes. Cover and chill for 1-1/2 hours or until thickened. , In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and lemon zest. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. , Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. , Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a small round pastry tip. Fill bag with lemon curd. Insert tip 1 in. into center of each cupcake; fill with curd just until tops of cupcakes begin to crack. , In a small bowl, combine the butter, vanilla, salt, confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve frosting consistency. Frost cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator. Garnish with flowers or lemon zest if desired.

Steps:

• Make the lemon curd filling: 1. Cream the butter and sugar in the smaller bowl of the stand mixer (with the whip attachment). 2. Mix in the eggs and then the lemon juice. (Mixture will look curdled.) 3. Transfer to a small pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 15 minutes.) The curd should coat the back of a spoon and register 170 degrees F on a thermometer. Do not allow it to boil. 4. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Transfer to a heat safe vessel, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cooled. Make the gingerbread cupcakes: 5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 6. Place the flours, sugar, spices, baking soda, and salt in the larger bowl of the stand mixer, and mix on low speed (with the paddle attachment) to combine. 7. Add the cold, cubed butter, and continue to mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. 8. Stir in the eggs until incorporated. Mixture will resemble cookie dough. 9. Add the Greek yogurt, molasses, and fresh ginger, and continue to mix until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat for about 90 seconds to aerate the batter and develop the cake's structure. 10. Fill each well of a paper-lined cupcake pan with 1/4 cup of batter, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. 11. Cool completely, fill with lemon curd, and top with whipped cream. Make the whipped cream: 12. Place 2 tablespoons heavy cream in a small bowl, and sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the surface. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir gently and warm slightly in the microwave (about 15 seconds). Stir again to ensure that the gelatin has dissolved. Allow to cool slightly. 13. Place the remaining cream in the smaller bowl of the stand mixer, and whip on high speed (with the whip attachment), until slightly thickened. 14. Add the sugar, and continue to whip until the soft peak stage. 15. Add the cooled gelatin mixture and whip until the stiff peak stage. 16. Pipe onto Gingerbread Cupcakes, and sprinkle on chopped candied ginger for garnish.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter or line with paper liners a 12-cup muffin tin.
• Cream 5 tablespoons of the butter with the white sugar. Add the molasses and the egg and egg yolk.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tin.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and remove to a rack to cool.
• To Make Frosting: Cream the 2 tablespoons butter and the cream cheese together. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon extract and beat. When the cupcakes are cool, frost the tops with the frosting and serve.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in water and molasses. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; add to the creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium for 2 minutes., Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in maple syrup and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator.