Cupcake round-up submission: Saffron vanilla cupcake.

my favourite cupcake blog was throwing a little call-for-submissions, if you will.  being the baker and cupcake enthusiast that i am, i couldn't pass this opportunity up.  i roped in my fellow baker friends, cynth & kanin, and we started baking ideas... then the real things!  we gathered last nite at my humble abode and made a tastey mess.  so  for the chockylit & vanilla-garlic's cupcake round-up contest, i decided to take a fluffy vanilla cupcake recipe, and top it with saffron buttercream and toasted almonds.  without further ado... the process avec photos: 

the night before i started baking, i infused the butter with the saffron.  i melted half a stick of butter in a saucepan and crumbled approximately two pinches of saffron into and let it sit overnight.

the cake recipe i chose to use was a slight variation of chockylit's horchata cupcake recipe:

Vanilla Cupcakes
350 degree oven

1/2 stick butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup organic skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. drizzle the sugar mixture in with the butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes
3. sift flour, baking powder, and salt together
4. mix the milk and vanilla together
5. add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter/sugar in 3 parts alternating between flour and milk and beating well after each addition
6. set aside incorporated mixture
7. in a clean mixer bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
8. fold egg whites into cake batter until incorporated
9. scoop batter into the prepared cupcake pans
10. bake in the 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

for the frosting, i used a variation of the food network's quick vanilla buttercream:

Saffron Buttercream

1.5 cups confectioners' sugar (add more until preferred consistancy)
1/2 cup saffron-infused butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon organic skim milk
In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and milk and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream/sugar if needed for spreading consistency.

for photos from the entire evening, check out:

Cupcakery

special thanks goes to fancypants who documented the whole adventure.

xö
kelly alice.