Vanilla Bean Cupcakes - I

For my daughter's birthday this year I needed light colored cupcakes for her cake tower and I was on a vanilla bean paste kick. I discovered this one little item and most everything centered around vanilla for some time!

The vanilla cake was delightful, the frosting outstanding and I filled them with a fabulous, light homemade caramel mousse. The other half of the cupcakes were pina colada cake with the same frosting as well. But this is about the vanilla!

INGREDIENTS FOR CUPCAKES
Makes 24 cupcakes

• 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp almond extract (I used almond emulsion)
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 oz)
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 oz)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp table salt
• 12 Tbs unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool & cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake pans with paper liners.

Combine egg whites, milk, almond extract & vanilla paste in a large glass liquid measuring cup with a fork until blended.

Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at low speed. Add butter and beat on low speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.

Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixture and scrape down sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 30 seconds longer.

Divide batter evenly between cupcake cups. Bake on center rack for 20 minutes or until cupcakes test done - a toothpick should come out with moist crumbs.

Let cupcakes rest in pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pans and let them cool on a rack.

VANILLA BEAN FROSTING

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 pkg (8oz) Philly cream cheese
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract + 1/4 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out)
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy.
2. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
3. Add the vanilla paste and 3 cups of powdered sugar and beat at low speed, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to arrive at the consistency and sweetness you like.

CREAMY CARAMEL MOUSSE

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tbs water
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla paste
• 1 oz (2 Tbs, 1/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1. Bring 1/3 cup of cream to a boil in a 1/2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook the granulated sugar, brown sugar, water, honey, and vanilla paste in a 2 quart heavy-duty saucepan over high heat, without stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Brush around the inside of the pan with a pastry brush at the point where the sugar syrup meets the sides of the pan to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Do this two times. Cook the mixture over high heat, without stirring, until it turns amber colored, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Lower the heat to medium and slowly add the hot cream while stirring constantly with a long-handled heat-resistant spatula. The cream will bubble and foam. Continue to stir to make sure there are no lumps. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter until it is completely melted. Transfer the caramel sauce to a 2 quart mixing bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, cool to room temperature, then chill until thick, about 2 hours.
3. Whip the remaining 3/4 cup of cream in the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the wire whip attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Set aside 1/3 cup of whipped cream and fold the remaining whipped cream into the chilled caramel sauce in 3 stages.