French Toast Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting

I never have been a big cupcake fan. For my birthdays when I was a kid, my mom would always make a large chocolate chip cookie with whipped cream and sprinkles. Poke in a few candles, and vuala, I was a happy camper. I never could get over that thick and sweet frosting that was pipped high on cakes and cupcakes. Nowadays, I’m a much bigger fan of cupcakes. Maybe it’s because I’m the one making them and I can adjust the sweetness of the frosting to my liking, or maybe it’s because I’ve finally discovered whipped cream frosting.

Originally, I pictured making angel food cupcakes, topped with a light and airy whipped cream frosting, drizzled with fresh raspberry sauce. Sounds delicious, right? Well, if you must know, my angel food cupcakes were an utter fail, leaving me with little deflated, pancake-like sponges, crispy at the top and squishy at the bottom. I fed them to my garbage.

Which brings me to these cupcakes. I guess I had breakfast on my mind, or maybe next week’s Easter brunch, because after I gave up attempting angel food again, I decided to make french toast cupcakes. These cupcakes were just how I like my french toast, moist with maple syrup, dolloped with whipped cream, and finished off with fresh berries. The cake had warm spices and a hint of maple syrup and the whipped cream frosting was cool and not too sweet. I drizzled a few with some maple syrup for an added maple flavor and topped each cupcake off with a fresh raspberry. These would be a great addition to any Easter brunch table, or even just a fun dessert for the family!

French Toast Cupcakes
adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup half-and-half, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Prepare the cupcakes: Combine the flours, baking powder, potato starch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl with a whisk.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugars with a mixer on low speed until combined, 6 to 8 minutes. Gradually mix in the vanilla and egg whites. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the maple syrup and half-and-half, mixing after each addition and ending with flour. Mix until the ingredients are just combined; do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

My Favorite Whipped Cream Frosting

Ingredients

• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Using a stand mixer, whip the cream cheese for 5 minutes until smooth. Slowly add the heavy cream and beat on medium until it starts to thicken. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Lower the speed to low as you slowly add the powered sugar (it makes a bit of a mess so help incorporate it with a spatula if needed). Continue to beat on medium for 5 minutes.