HELLO, KITCHENAID! elvis cupcakes topped 3 ways
is there a better way to kick off the decade than christening a NEW KITCHENAID?!
nope.
excited as i was to open up this baby on christmas, i was even more jazzed to get her up and running!
deciding what to make first was no easy task. i mean the possibilities are ENDLESS, and treats decision making is not my forte - i want it all! after some deliberation i decided to start the decade, and my new culinary adventures, with an ode to the king.
elvis’s birthday was january 8th, and in his honor i made ELVIS CUPCAKES.
legend has it that elvis’s favorite sandwich was peanut butter banana, and i do not blame him. this flavor combo is among the most delicious, and was the inspiration for the cupcake that bears his name.
the elvis has many faces, but i went with a recipe from another of my favorite blogs, blondie and brownie. like deb, these girls are new yorkers, and when it comes to treats around town, they are EXPERTS. in my dreams they call me up and ask me to join them in all their treatscapades.
back to business:
brownie’s elvis is a banana cake with peanut buttercream frosting, topped with honeyed bacon bits. the recipe is quite literally a piece of cake, and a great way to make a dent in your giant jar of skippy from costco.
BANANA CUPCAKES (makes 18, though i only scraped out 17.5 myself)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1. preheat oven to 350 and line your muffin pans with cupcake liners. i recommend paper liners, the foil ones i used did not retain shape quite as well.
2. in a large bowl (OR YOUR KITCHENAID!) whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. in a separate bowl, mix melted butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla.
4. pour banana mixture into the dry mix, turn on your kitchenaid, and watch the magic happen!
5. spoon batter into the cupcake liners, about 2/3 of the way full (if you like a bigger top you can be a little bit more generous and go for 16 cupcakes - mine didn’t rise too much).
6. bake for 20-25 minutes in the center of the oven (i’d check at 20, mine baked fast). stick a toothpick in one of them - if it comes out clean, you’re good to go.
your naked cupcakes will look something like this:
now for the buttercream!
PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (i just used skippy)
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. heat a pan of water on the stove.
2. whisk egg whites and sugar in a mixer bowl or heatproof bowl of some kind. place bowl over simmering pan of water, and whisk until sugar has melted and mixture is warm to the touch (about 3 mins).
3. take the bowl off the heat and whisk with a stand or hand mixer at medium speed until cool (about 5 minutes). at this point the mixture should be an opaque, milky white.
4. switch to a paddle attachment and add butter to the mixture, 1 stick at a time. beat until thick and creamy (about 6 mins).
5. add peanut butter, 1/4 at a time, and beat until incorporated. if the mixture separates, do not dismay - just beat into submission, it will surrender.
6. spread onto cooled cupcakes. if you’re not ready to frost, cover the buttercream with saran and stick it in the fridge. a warning from brownie: when you’re ready to decorate, let the buttercream reach room temp before mixing again or it will separate!
*note: if you find, like i did, that the buttercream is not peanutbuttery enough for your liking, add another tablespoon of peanut butter. or two. this will not end in disaster but deliciousness, i promise.
while i did not dare deviate from brownie’s recipe, i did substitute her bacon garnish for a trio of toppings: white chocolate toblerone, banana chips, and chocolate chips!
dan and i are going to gobble these up during the BIG LOVE PREMIERE. i plan on eating one for each wife. at least.
charlie i hope you are planning on doing these, because elvis loved his liquor, too.
xx,
alexandra
p.s. did i mention that this recipe is RIFE WITH SPOON LICKING OPPORTUNITY?! batter, peanut butter, frosting - hell, i even sampled the sugar/egg white spoon! all kinds of delicious.
