Angel Food Cupcakes
Pillow-soft fluffs of Angel Food Cupcakes topped with cloud-like milk chocolate meringue buttercream.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Angel Food Cupcakes
- 6 large egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream tartar
- ¾ cup + 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Milk Chocolate Cloud Frosting
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 4 tablespoon mascarpone softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 oz dark chocolate melted and cooled
- 1 to 2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
Angel Food Cupcakes
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with extra large liners and set aside.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use an electric hand mixer). Sprinkle in the cream of tartar. Start by mixing on low speed until the egg whites begin to form bubbles.
- As the egg whites begin to foam and become more opaque, gradually turn up the speed and start slowly adding in the sugar, a tablespoon or two at a time. Continue adding in the sugar, followed by the salt. Over the course of about a minute or so, all of the sugar/salt should have been added and the speed will have increased to medium-high.
- Continue whipping the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks. They whites should still be pillowy but not dry or clumpy. Unlike a true meringue (with twice the sugar), they will not be particularly glossy.
- Add in the lemon and vanilla. Whip again until just combined.
- Stop the mixture. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the flour in two to three batches. You can be a bit more deliberate and heavy-handed with the first batch of flour as you temper the two ingredients together, but then use a lighter touch as you go. Be thorough, but do your best not to deflate the batter.
- Use two spoons to plop the batter into the cupcakes liners. Fill the liners nearly to the top. With the back of a spoon or small offset spatula, smooth out the tops of each cupcake.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 to 23 minutes. When done, the tops should be browned and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Remove from the oven and let cupcakes cool in their pans for about 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Milk Chocolate Cloud Frosting
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Whisk by hand to combine. Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer.
- Place the mixer bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double-boiler. Whisking intermittently, warm the egg mixture until it reached 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- Once hot, carefully replace the mixer bowl back on the stand. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks and the outside of the bowl returns to room temperature (about 8 minutes).
- Turn the mixer down to low and add in the butter and mascarpone, a couple tablespoons at a time. Stop the mixer and swap the whisk for the paddle attachment.
- Add in the vanilla, melted chocolate, and cocoa. Mix on medium-high until the buttercream is smooth, fluffy, and cloud-like.
- If the buttercream looks like it has cuddled, the butter was probably too cold. Just keep mixing.
- If the buttercream looks soupy, you probably added the butter in too soon and before the meringue returned all the way back to room temperature. Chill the mixture (inside the bowl) in the fridge for 15 minute and try whipping again until smooth.