"Spaghetti and Meatballs" Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

There have been moments when I am a bit of a snob - turning up my nose to decadent designs with flat taste combinations. For me, it's all about the taste, the taste!, which is why I was slightly dismayed when I opened Karen Tack's book Hello Cupcake which seemed to be devoted to the art of decorating, and not the cupcakes themselves.

I know, what a snob!

Turns out the book is awesome, and in light of my new found appreciation I decided to attempt her cupcakes decorated like spaghetti and meatballs. The picture was so comical I couldn't resist, and it was the perfect way to spice up a basic vanilla cupcake recipe.

I brought them in to work today and my co-workers' mouths fell open. They couldn't believe their eyes! For one, the meatballs look really realistic which had people wondering if I had gone completely nuts, but more than anything it was just the extreme silliness of the entire situation.

So this blog entry isn't dedicated to the cupcake - it's dedicated to the decoration!

Basic Vanilla Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcake

1 c. unsalted butter

2 c. white sugar

4 eggs

2 3/4 c. cake and pastry flour

2 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 c. plus 2 tbsp. milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

• sift together flour and baking powder; set aside
• mix together milk and vanilla; set aside
• cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in large mixing bowl; add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly with a mixer on medium speed
• alternate wet and dry ingredients in thirds until well combined
• fill cupcake papers 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes
• allow to fully cool before frosting

Vanilla Buttercream

• 3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 5-6 c. icing sugar

Cream unsalted butter with 1 c. icing sugar. Add milk and vanilla and then add icing sugar (4-5 c.'s) until reaches thick enough consistency to be piped consistency

Meat Sauce

adapted from Hello Cupcake! by Karen Tack

• 1 jar no-sugar added strawberry jam*
• 24 Ferrero Rocher chocolates

* I'm serious about the no-sugar added factor of the strawberry jam for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the icing is really really sweet, so the less sweet the jam, the better. It cuts the taste. Secondly, low-sugar or no sugar jam has a better colour, according to Karen Tack (and confirmed by moi!)

Assembly

• Lightly ice each cupcake; position on one tray touching each other (4x6 format)
• Use an icing bag with a 4 Round (Wilton) tip, or a ziplock bag with a very small hole for piping. If you choose to use the ziplock, try your noodle size out on a piece of wax paper before icing...my first try looked like fettuccine more than spaghetti!

• Loop that icing all over the place! Move from one cupcake to another, and let it dribble down the sides a little, to look like piles of noodles
  
• Pour the jam into a bowl, mix in chocolates gently until completely covered. Spoon one chocolate and a little jam on each cupcake*

* I would suggest that you don't add your meatsauce and meatballs until just before you are ready to serve, because the jam will set and get gelatin-ish if you leave it too long.

Voila! Excellent-ly delicious, easy, and amazing cupcakes! (Don't those meatballs look believable?)

They were very easy to make, and that vanilla cupcake recipe is easy, moist, and delicious. It's also the basis for most of my flavour experiments as I find it a really versatile recipe (except I think I should challenge that preconception soon, because as I learned last week, my orange cupcakes could have used a different base...so perhaps there is still work to be done).

Anyway, it was a great week with great results. Recommended!