¡Cinco de cupcake!

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo in class on Friday.  The students brought in different foods and asked me to bring in cupcakes of course.  So I set out to come up with some kind of Mexican dessert I could translate into a cupcake.  I went with the obvious and did a trial run of a tres leches cupcake with dulce de leche buttercream.  It actually tasted really good but because of the soggy consistency I just couldn't see them not turning completely disgusting by 6th and 7th period (which was when we were having our party).  So I thought about a churro as inspiration.  I ended up making what I called a cinnamon churro crunch cupcake.  

I made a basic yellow cake and divided the batter into three bowls.  I left one plain and dyed the other two red and green so I would have the colors of the Mexican flag.  I put a teaspoon of cinnamon each in the red and green batters.  

I wandered into a little local Mexican grocery for some churro-ish (yes I just made up that word) inspiration.  I asked the guy working there what would be good to put into a cake that would make it taste like a cinnamon churro and he showed me a box of cinnamon wafer cookies.  I bought them and tasted them and they were really good!  I crushed up a bunch to use in the cupcakes.  In one cupcake batch I put the crumbs on the bottom of the batter in the cupcake liner.  In the other batch I put them on top of the batter before baking.  Both were really good but the one on top was better b/c it came out crunchy.  (Well, it was crunchy until the next morning when I went to frost them.  By then, the "crunch" was the same consistency as the cake but still tasted really good!)

I got out all of my red, green and white sprinkles to decorate.  I got a box of 100 Mexican flag picks on eBay for $4 and free shipping!  I REALLY love eBay.  I can not stop buying stuff off of it.

Yum!  Each cupcake had lots of layers.  I kinda smooshed the icing when cutting this one in half for a photo, but I think it still looks really neat.

I told the students that I was blogging this recipe and I wanted them in this entry.  They are all super kids!  

Get 'em all sugared up then send them to 8th hour!  



The recipe:

BHG yellow cake
Ingredients

• 2 1/2
  cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2
  teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 2/3
  cup butter
• 1 3/4
  cups sugar
• 1 1/2
  teaspoons vanilla
• 2
  eggs
• 1 1/4
  cups milk
  
  

  
  

  directions

  
  

  Grease and lightly flour two 8x1-1/2-inch or 9x1-1/2-inch round baking pans or grease one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set pan(s) aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

  
  

  In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Add dry mixture and milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).

  Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove layer cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Or, place 13x9-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting. Makes 12 servings.

  Variation Yellow Cupcakes:To make cupcakes, grease and lightly flour thirty 2-1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Prepare cake as directed in Step 2. Fill each cup half full. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 30 cupcakes.