White Linen Cupcakes

Name: White Linen Cupcakes
Ingredients: Vanilla Bean Cake:; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1 cup shortening; 2 cups sugar; 4 large eggs; 2 3/4 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup buttermilk; 1 to 2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste; Paper baking cups; Vegetable cooking spray; Mascarpone Frosting:; 1 cup whipping cream; 12 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/8 teaspoon salt; Toppings:; White chocolate curls

20 ingredients

8 steps

Ingredients

Vanilla Bean Cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 to 2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Paper baking cups
Vegetable cooking spray
Mascarpone Frosting:
1 cup whipping cream
12 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Toppings:
White chocolate curls

Directions

1

To prepare Vanilla Bean Cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
3

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla bean paste.
4

Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling about two-thirds full.
5

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Makes 24 cupcakes.
6

To prepare frosting, beat cream at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl at medium speed with mixer until blended. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until blended. Makes 3 cups. Frost each cupcake. Top each generously with white chocolate curls.
7

Chocolate curls make quite an impressive topping. At
8

, they recommend using a good quality milk chocolate or white chocolate bar without nuts or fillings. Soften it very slightly in the microwave about 10 seconds on HIGH; microwave again an extra 5 seconds at at time; if needed. Pull a sharp vegetable peeler along narrow end of bar, letting curls fall onto a chilled sheet pan. The secret is having the chocolate at just the right temperature and using gentle pressure with the vegetable peeler.