Storytime: A Cupcake's Life Journey

You've probably guessed by now that decorations aren't really my thing. But that just goes to support the fact that the taste will be magnificent! After all, who want's to eat something that looks so much like a real object that no one wants to eat it? For me, pastry is about taking you out of your comfort zone with just a punch of unexpected flavor and a big, heavenly treat to devour.
That brings me to me to my story: a journey through the world of the cupcake.

First, there is the raspberry, that sweet fruit that thinks he is the center of the flavor universe. Yet, once his sweetness talks itself out, a tart, astringent tang of selfishness reveals itself. The raspberry, after all, is just human.

It is only after the raspberry has shown off his perspective of the world and displayed his ownership, that one encounters the almond. In it's plant-like ability to gently cover the earth in lush, green leaves of creamy, nutty flavor, and duplicity as it becomes a crunchy surprise, the almond is perhaps one of the world's biggest treasures.

The almond is perhaps overlooked by the humanly raspberry, who wants nothing of the overpopulating leaves, but instead seeks to display the beauty of the buds that lie within them. This is where we find the rose, Petals gently blowing to settle softly atop the earth, awaiting the soul who will find and treasure them. For the true fact of it is, their beauty is rarely used for more than display. Almonds too, have the alarming ability to take flight, feeding upon the sweet sap of flowers, and making them come to life.

Underneath all of this lies the earth. It is a subtle, lightly-flavored, crumbly abyss that seems to have no life, even when a sweet, red syrup is drizzled over like waves crashing ashore. Without the earth, the life-like cake, there would be nothing for life to find its foundation. The raspberry would never get to live its rein.

And so,  just like this sweet earth began, it is time that we treasure the true beauty that could never be displayed in this early cupcake. All we have to do it take a bite!

And so, I will do just that!

I present: Oreganic Cupcakes; my (first) entry for this month's Cupcake Hero

Note: I was able to use the flowers off the Rose of Sharon in my back yard. I’ve used them in recipes before, and they are an easy way to capture the flavor of the garden in the summer. if you don’t have access to edible roses that you can pick whenever you want to, you can often find dried rose petals in international markets or health food stores.

Note 2: While these are vegan cupcakes, fitting in with the vegan baking I’ve been doing lately, I was having a debate with myself over honey. While I know it’s in no way considered a vegan product, I loved the way it brings out the flavor of the roses. Plus, unlike other animal products, i can’t find any harmful ways in which honey is harvested. On that note however, i’ve included the option of using agave nectar, which may not support the flavors, but will at least have a similar textural role.

Note 3: I made my cupcakes in a muffin tin that was narrower and taller than the standard muffin tin, as I liked their shape and style. Overall though, they use about the same amount of batter as regular muffin tins, so use whatever one you have.

Oreganic Cupcakes

Make 8-9 cupcakes

9 oz, (2 1/4 cups) cake flour

1 oz. almond meal (or blanched almonds that are finely ground in the food processor)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

4 oz. (1/2 cup) Earth Balance Margarine (or other non-hydrogenated vegan margarine) , at room temperature

5 1/4 oz. (1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 tbsp.) sugar

1 3/4 oz. (2 1/2 tbsp.) honey or agave nectar

4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsweetened applesauce

5 1/2 oz. (11 tbsp.)  soy milk

45 g. (about 2 tbsp.) cornstarch

1/2 vanilla bean

2 tsp. rose water

approximately 18 fresh or frozen raspberries (make sure they are firm, not mushy, so that you can easily handle them)

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray.
2. Sift cake flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt. The purpose of sifting is more for aeration than to eliminate lumps, so when you get down to just almond flour, feel free to just dump it in to the other dry ingredients.
3. In an electric mixer, cream the margarine and sugar on medium speed until smooth and lightened in color. Add the honey and blend, then add the applesauce.
4. Add the cornstarch, soy milk, rose water and vanilla and mix until smooth.
5. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until no dry specks show. Remove from the mixer and mix by hand just until fully blended.
6. Distribute the batter among the greased muffin cups; you should only fill 8 or 9 of them. Fill the cups about 3/4 of the way to the top.
7. Press 2 raspberries into the cupcake, pressing them down into the batter so that the batter comes up and around the berries as to try and completely hide them.
8. Bake about 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch and barely beginning to brown on top.
9. Cool completely before glazing.

Glaze

1 cup sugar

water, as needed

1 tsp. honey

approximately 1/4 cups roses or dried rose petals

2 oz. frozen raspberries

1 tbsp. corn starch

1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar, as needed

1. Have a bowl-filled with cold water and a pastry brush near by in case you need it.
2. Place the sugar in a high-sided pot. Pour in enough water to just come up to the same level as the sugar. Stir the sugar; it should be the constancy of wet sand. Add the honey.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. If you find any crystals appearing along the side of the pot, brush them down with a wet pastry brush.
4. Once the sugar boils, stop stirring and continue cooking until it reaches 235-240℉.
5. Remove from the heat and pour into a separate bowl. Add the rose petals and allow the syrup to cool.
6. In a food processor, blend the cooled sugar syrup, raspberries and corn starch until smooth.
7. Pour the puree into a bowl. Add enough powdered sugar to make a thick, yet pourable glaze.
8. Remove the cakes from the pan. They should have pulled away form the edges of the pan, therefore easy to remove; but you can use an offset spatula to help. Place the cakes onto a drying or dipping rack that has small enough grates that the cakes will stand. Place the rack on a cookie sheet for easy clean-up
9. Using a spoon or spatula, slowly drizzle the glaze over the cakes; allowing it time to slowly drain into and drizzle over the cakes. There will be a lot of excess that will collect under the rack, which you can use as a second coating if you’d like. Allow the glaze to set.

Almond Cream Frosting

(this filling is so good that I can eat it by the spoonful; like spreadable marzipan!)

2 oz. blanched almonds (the process is quicker if the almonds are also pre-sliced or slivered)

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. water

2 oz. (1/4 cup) Earth Balance Margarine (o other non-hydrogenated margarine), softened 

1 tsp. vanilla

1-2 cups confectioner's sugar

1. Sprinkle the almonds over a sheet pan and toast in a 400℉ for 5-10 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to brown.
2. Immediately remove and pour into a food processor. Add the honey and blend until pasty. Add water and blend until as smooth as possible.
3. Cream the almond butter that you’ve just made with the margarine and vanilla. Add about 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar at a time until you get a thick, barely spreadable frosting. You can also add some soy milk if you find the frosting being too thick.
4. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip, then fill with the almond cream frosting.
5. Near the edge of each cupcake, pipe a rosette of frosting. To do this, hold the bag at an angle in relation to the cupcake, then make a quick “e” pattern, lessening the amount of frosting as you come back around. The design does not have to be perfect, as this cupcake represents nature.
6. Garnish with a fresh, whole raspberry, placed near the edge of the cream, a slivered almond, and a candied or crystalized rose petal.