More Inspiration From Donna Hay – Blue Cupcakes

There is something rather magical about the soft teal blue colour… For generations,Tiffany‘s little blue box has set every girls’ heart aflutter. Then there is Homemaking Guru, Martha Stewart’s signature blue logo and blue packaging which renders everything more pristine and perfect. Donna Hay, Australia’s own accomplished food stylist, cookbook and magazine editor, too chooses to work with the soft powdery blue as one of her dominant trademark colour. I am guessing that somehow, the Tiffany Blue (that’s what I like to call it) hue has the magical ability to conjure up an impression of the demure, well bred and… blue bloodedness. That rank within the social hierarchy that very few belong to but many are fascinated by… and some quietly covet at….

No, I am no Bree Van de Kamp or Charlotte York… I am most likely their anti-thesis. However, I do admire and appreciate polish, perfection and beauty… and if by adding a dash of Tiffany Blue to my photos can afford me a few short lived illusional moments of grace and polish, I would gladly do it.
I know I am a quirky free spirit by nature and therefore to help distract from my shoddiness, are pretty white pleated paper cups from Donna Hay, the blue cupcake liners that came in the same collection as the pink ones I used earlier and my favourite purchase from the store…. the ornate wire cooling rack. (I still have a stash of goodies from the store… but it wouldn’t be tasteful to jam pack everything into the same photo….:) )

The cupcake recipe I have chosen here is one from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes. Swiss Meringue buttercream paired with a rather unusual white cupcake…. not my favourite cupcake recipe, I have to admit. This tastes a little like a dense egg sponge. I prefer my cupcakes to be moist and fine crumbed… a blondie or a basic yellow pound would be my choice if I were to do this over again.

Recipe
White Cupcake from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

3 1/4 cups                 Sifted cake flour
1 1/2 tsp                    Baking powder
1/4   tsp                     Salt
1 tbsp                        Vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbsp        Milk
1 3/4 sticks                Butter, softened at room temperature
1 3/4 cup                   Sugar
5                                Large egg whites

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Cream butter with sugar together until pale. Add Vanilla extract.
3. Add dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of milk.
4. In another mixing bowl beat egg whites until firm peaks are formed.
5. Mix 1/3 of meringue with (3). Fold in rest of meringue gently in 2 additions.
6.Spoon batter into cupcake liners until 3/4 filled.
7. Bake in oven for 18 -20 mins.
8. Cool down on wire rack for 10 mins. Turn out cupcakes onto wire rack to cool completely.
9. Frost with blue swiss meringue butter cream.

Swiss Meringue butter cream recipe here. (tint with blue colour gel)