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| Think they look boring? Just take a bite and prepare to be blown away! |
These gorgeous little mini-angel food cakes are inspired by the beautiful Italian-American chef Giada De Laurentis.
The ingredients for her Lemon Mint Cake are hers; the presentation and a few alterations are 67goingon50's.
67 needed small hand-held treats for political volunteers canvassing in hilly Hampstead.
But the Blogger was wary of turning a delicate cake into cupcakes. There was no need to worry. The results were great: the interioir was as tender and fluffy as could be expected (in fact, to die for!) with a top unexpectedly deliciously crackly.
Think they look a bit boring? Take a bite.
The lemon mint flavours are strong and punchy; 67's glaze - applied with a brush as soon as the cakes come out of the oven - penetrates the interior exquisitely.
The recipe is easy to follow but has a few steps. A bright tweenager could make them, or act as sous chef.
Trust 67; the recipe is more than worth it.
And they are not going to cost the earth, in money or fuel.
Ingreds:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Eight medium mint leaves, veins removed & finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
One cup sifted all-purpose flour
Method:
- Line muffin tins with paper liners, pressing down into the cavity so they stand up like soldiers
- Using electric beaters, in a large bowl beat whites to soft peak; gradually add 1/2 cup sugar; beating till stiff peaks form; set aside
- Using same beaters, in another large bowl, beat veg oil, half cup sugar & salt
- Pre-heat oven to 180c/350f
- Add yolks one at a time, beating after each addition
- Add mint, lemon juice and lemon zest, mix
- Add flour in quarters; beat until just combined; the batter will be very thick
- Slowly beat 1/2 cup of egg whites into oil mixture
- Fold in remaining egg whites, a third of the time (see Tips)
- Use a 4cm/1.5inch hinged scoop to fill cups 2/3 full
- Bake 20 mins, swapping pans from the top to bottom and back to front half-way through
- Make the glaze: pour lemon juice into a med bowl; add 1/2 cup icing sugar; add more little by little until it reaches a flowing but not too drippy consistency
- The cakes are done when golden brown or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean
- When the cakes come out of the oven, rest trays on a cooling rack; stab each cupcake with a cocktail stick 3-4 times; lightly brush with glaze; leave to cool
- 'Magnificent explosion of flavour. I would never have put lemon and mint together but it works. The cakes would take off if you were to sell them.' Political Agent
- 'Wow! Nothing more to say about these. (but I might have eaten 3 or 4 in a row if I didn't already have a toothache).' Retired writer
- If using normal cupcake tins, add maybe 10 mins to cooking time but use the toothpick test before the end
- Be sure to use paper liners; the cake batter needs something to cling to in order to rise to its best height
- Sifting the flour makes a much lighter texture
- Folding in egg whites: using a rubber spatula, cut down the middle of the bowl, scrape it up the left hand side and lift the batter over; turn the bowl a little to the right; repeat, trying to keep all the air in, until all the white is gone
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