TeaCupCake in cup by The Queen's Treasures
We all know that cupcakes have their pros and cons. In their favor, the portion control, and short baking time. On the downside, they can feel a little casual for a special occasion. Sometimes, you want the formality of a plate and fork. But, in this day and age, cupcakes are not just for kids anymore. I saw the possibilities for a really elegant way to present a dessert that would be easy, but special. Imagine the drama of individual cakes for special gatherings. Not just a mere cupcake. After a little trial and error, behold the TeaCupCake!
That is how cupcakes got started originally. Cooks were baking left over cake batter in ceramic cups and mugs. The wonderful thing about those Battenberg Tea Cups is the demitasse portion. A standard boxed cake mix will make 24 standard cupcakes (without muffintop). The Battenberg Tea Cups are the same size as a standard cupcake and they are the right shape. Here’s the link to view the Battenberg Tea Cups in Ivory Tower and Princess Pink. The neutral pattern of the Battenberg tea cups is the ideal platform for any decorating theme you want to pursue with the cupcake itself. The ceramic cup bakes evenly, and everything goes through the dishwasher for easy clean-up.
Sponge Cake vs. Pound Cake. – I did need to fiddle with the cake batter. A standard boxed cake mix, baked with oil/eggs/water, will give you a nice sponge cake. That does not work for this project. Unfortunately, on my first try, the batter rose too fast in the tea cups while baking, dribbled over the edge of the cups, and then the cakes fell as they cooled. They looked like sad little sponges after they cooled, and the teacups were a mess. Not very pretty at all! I needed to adjust the mix for a denser batter, more like a pound cake. I added a box of instant pudding mix and an extra egg on my second attempt. I baked in one dozen tea cups evenly spaced on a baking sheet and used the rest of the cake batter to fill a muffin tin with 12 “normal” cupcakes.
Basic tips:
- Add one package of instant pudding and one additional egg to a standard boxed cake mix of your choice. (i.e. I used vanilla pudding with a Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix.)
- Use a baking spray on the Battenberg Tea Cups.
- Put 12 Tea Cups on a baking sheet evenly spaced, without touching.
- Fill the Tea Cups just over ½ way for a beautiful crown right at the rim of the teacup. You will get 24 cupcakes out of one cake mix. If you overfill, your cups will runneth over!
- Increase your cooking time by 4-5 minutes. Baking in the ceramic tea cups will take a few extra minutes. (If you are using 12 tea cups and one muffin tin, the muffin tin will be finished several minutes ahead.)
- Let the cupcakes cook completely before frosting.
I frosted with my favorite buttercream frosting. A piping bag with a large star tip gave me a beautiful finished look that reminded me of whipped cream but offered the opportunity for more flavor. I garnished with a royal icing violet blossom and leaf that I had made previously.
Buttercream Frosting
- 4 oz. vegetable shortening
- 4 oz butter (1 stick)
- 1 Tbsn. Meringue powder (available in baking aisle)
- 1 tspn. Flavor extract of your choice
- Pinch of salt
- 1 lb. confectioner’s sugar
- 3 Tbsn. of water
Soften the fats to room temperature and cream them. Add meringue powder, extract and salt. Slowly beat in the sugar and add the water. Beat on medium speed for several minutes. Check consistency of the frosting as you are adding the last Tablespoon of water. The consistency of the frosting will vary with humidity. You want something that will be easy to pipe, but still hold its shape.
I usually use a combination of shortening and butter. I prefer the flavor of butter, but shortening is more stable in hot weather. Shortening has a higher melting point and will stand up better to a warm day. The meringue powder stablizes the frosting so it will hold a shape when you pipe the frosting.
Variations: If you like frosting with a sharper taste, substitute sour cream for the butter and omit the water or use cream cheese instead of butter. You may need to add a bit more confectioner’s sugar. Just remember to refrigerate the cupcakes if you are preparing them ahead and storing.
Decorating is limited only by your imagination! Royal Icing Flowers are a fabulous way to dress these cupcakes up. You can buy a variety of flowers already made anywhere that sells cake decorating supplies. Check with your favorite local cake decorator or bakery. Our local craft superstore carries readymade flowers with the Wilton products. If you want to have a go at making your own, you can find instructions for piping many different flowers on the Wilton website. Here is the link for the violet blossom pictured above. http://www.wilton.com/technique/Violet-2
The advantage to Royal Icing Flowers is that you can make them far in advance. They dry like hard candy and store at room temperature for months in an airtight container. I just opened a box and popped on the violet flowers before serving. The Royal Frosting Flowers will absorb moisture from the buttercream frosting. It is best if you don’t try to refrigerate the royal icing flowers. Add them prior to serving.
Imagine the possibilities for your book club meeting, a baby shower, a bridal shower, your next holiday dinner. I took these to a summer picnic and the ladies just lit up. (The men didn’t complain, either!) To travel with the teacups, just set each cup in the well of a muffin tin and pop them in a cupcake carrier or box. Set the teacups on their saucers with a fork and you are ready to serve. The TeaCupCakes display beautifully on a buffet with no cutting and serving required.
I’ll be exploring more TeaCupCakes for Fall and Winter.
from the Buttercream Duchess
