I've been a bit delinquent lately, given the move and the (somewhat lack of) unpacking and my dad's birthday party a week ago, but I decided to jump right back into baking and blogging with some festive cupcakes for Cinco de Mayo!
In the past, I've made a few treats for Cinco de Mayo, like these
margarita cupcakes (with adorable sugar toppers!) and a
daiquiri bunt cake, but this time I decided to veer away from the lime-and-alcohol flavored treats and go with something a little more "traditional." Namely, churros. There is something about that cinnamony deliciousness that called me to these cupcakes, and the mini churro on top?! OMG, too cute! (I actually considered frying them up like actual churros, but lets face it, with the decadence that is these cupcakes, why add to the insanity? Plus, I've never made anything fried like a fritter, donut, or churro before, and figured that at this point it wasn't worth starting to try
while I was baking cupcakes).
B seemed interested in these when I mentioned them, and since I worked an hour earlier than usual on Monday, I figured I'd bake them after work. And when our evening plans got canceled, I figured it was a sign and I needed to make them! Plus, he can bring them to work today (on Cinco de Mayo) and I could slowly start feeding my new doormen my yummy baked goods!
In the end, I ended up skipping the actual churro on top, simply because I had a napping roommate (I needed the food processor to make the dough)
and I was baking another Cinco de Mayo treat (which you will hear about very shortly....). It didn't really matter -- these cupcakes were delicious and B was a huge fan!
Churro Cupcakes
from the Baker Chick
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes
2.5 cups flour
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2.5 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the icing
2 sticks unsalted butter, soft (
I use room temperature)
4 oz cream cheese
3-5 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the cinnamon sugar topping
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
For the churros (if making)
4 Tbsp butter, cold
3/4 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and smooth.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next.
Stir the vanilla into the milk.
With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk/vanilla, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined.
Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way.
Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
All the cupcakes to cool completely, on a wire rack.
While the cupcakes are baking, combine the "mini churro" ingredients in a food processor for 1-2 minutes or until a ball is formed.
Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/8" thick.
Cut into strips, 1/2 inch wide, and cut 2 inch-long pieces on a diagonal.
Twist the dough pieces and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon.
Set aside.
When the mini churros have cooled, gently toss them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until well-coated.
Return to the cookie sheet until ready to use.
Make the icing.
Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
Mix in the vanilla.
Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
Start with 3 cups and add more depending on how stiff you want it to be.
When the cupcakes have cooled completely, dip the top of each one into the cinnamon/sugar mixture, giving each a light coating.
Mine didn't stick, so I steamed them a little in a hot oven and then dipped them to allow the cinnamon-sugar to stick.
Pipe the frosting onto the ucpcakes and dust with more cinnamon sugar.
Top each with a mini churro (
if you aren't lazy like me and skipped the step).
Enjoy! And Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
