Sunshine Cupcakes

Sunshine Cupcake

Watts Tea Shop has a cute little restaurant and they serve the most delightful Filled Sunshine Cake.  They were kind enough to share their recipe for Filled Sunshine Cake with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  I have made this cake a few times for special occasions and today I chose to make cute little Sunshine Cupcakes.  These are probably my best cupcake recipe so far, probably because I am a sucker for the French Custard Filling. 

Sunshine Cupcakes

Whipped Egg Whites

Ingredients:

• 9 eggs, separated
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup sugar (divided)
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• French custard filling (see recipe)
• Boiled frosting (see recipe)
• Grated rind of 2 large oranges for garnish



Egg Yoke Mixture



Sunshine Cupcakes

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• To make cake, in large bowl, combine egg yolks, water and ½ cup of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy
• Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition
• Mix in vanilla
• In large metal bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until whites are stiff
• Add remaining ½ cup sugar and beat just until peaks begin to form




Combined Cake Batter


• Fold into batter
• Pour batter into cupcakes (approx 18-20)
• Bake in preheated oven 20-30 minutes or until light brown.
• When done, remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack
• Meanwhile, prepare French custard filling and boiled frosting
• To assemble, frost with French custard, then top with boiled frosting
• Grate orange rind over top of cupcake



Warm Cupcakes

Cooled somewhat deflated

French custard:

Ingredients:

French Custard Topped Cupcakes

•  4 egg yolks, beaten
•  ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar
•  ¾ cup milk
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  1 cup (2 sticks) butter

Directions:

• In top of double boiler, combine egg yolks, powdered sugar and milk
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon. This should take 4 to 5 minutes
• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature
• Add vanilla
• In medium bowl, cream butter thoroughly
• Slowly add cooled custard mixture to butter, beating well

Boiled Frosting

Boiled frosting:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• ½ cup water
• Pinch of salt
• 3 egg whites (from pasteurized eggs)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• Combine sugar and water in saucepan and boil just until syrup spins a thread (220 degrees on a candy thermometer).
• Add salt to egg whites in a bowl.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. (It will take longer to whip the whites of pasteurized eggs than those of regular eggs.)
• Very slowly drizzle hot sugar syrup into beaten egg whites with electric mixer going at medium speed. Beat constantly until frosting stands in stiff peaks and is of spreading consistency.
• Add vanilla and beat well.

Orange Zest

Sunshine Cupcake Heaven