This week's treat was inspired by one of my favourite winter warm up drinks, an Earl Grey and vanilla latte known as 'London Fog'. The recipe used will be a difficult one to recreate as I have incorporated some very special ingredients that are less than available to the everyday baker. You are all privy to some special international components with the cupcake I will be presenting you today. The vanilla and Earl Grey cake was infused using Earl Grey Cream loose leaves, a flavored black tea prepared in British Columbia and the juice of a bergamot orange purchased from a gourmet grocer in New Bedford. The white chocolate and bergamot ganache bears the essence of a Creme de Bergamotte 'eau de vie' I acquired while traveling through the Alsace region of France. The cakes are topped with a simple vanilla buttercream frosting to allow the consumer a chance to appreciate the subtleties that make up a fine Earl Grey and I sprinkled each with a dash of ground tea and bergamot orange zest.
Earl Grey Cupcakes
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp loose earl grey leaves
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Bergamot orange juice
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1tsp ground earl grey tea
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Separate the egg whites/yolks while cold and allow them to come to room temperature (approx. 30 mins).
In a small saucepan, heat milk over low heat until a low simmer begins. Remove from heat and steep with loose leaves for about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease pan(s).
In a large bowl combine butter and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy (~3 minutes). Add in the eggs yolks, one at a time, mixing well in between. In a small bowl whisk together the earl grey milk, vanilla extract and Bergamot orange juice; set aside. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground earl grey and add them to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds alternating with the milk/vanilla mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients until combined. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Continue to beak the eggs, slowly adding in the 1/4 cup sugar until peaks form. Gently fold the stiffened whites into the batter. Do not over mix. This batch yielded 12 regular sized cupcakes baked for 14 minutes.
Creme de Bergamotte and White Chocolate Ganache
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp Creme de Bergamotte 'eau de vie'
Place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream to a simmer and pour over the dark chocolate; allow to sit for 1 minute. Using a spatula, stir from the center out. Add butter and 'eau de vie', stirring until combined. Allow the mixture to cool until thick/pipe-able. Placing it in the fridge will help to speed this up. I made this about 36 hours in advanced and kept it in the fridge.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 oz cream cheese (1/3 reduced fat)
2 cups icing/confectioner sugar
2 tbsp whip cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream together butter and cream cheese (~1 minute). Add sugar and mix until well combined and mix at medium speed until smooth (~2-3 minutes), scrapping down the sides as necessary. Add remaining ingredients, mix well.
Once cooled and frosted I dusted each cupcake with a pinch of ground earl grey and zest of Bergamot orange.
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp Creme de Bergamotte 'eau de vie'
Place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream to a simmer and pour over the dark chocolate; allow to sit for 1 minute. Using a spatula, stir from the center out. Add butter and 'eau de vie', stirring until combined. Allow the mixture to cool until thick/pipe-able. Placing it in the fridge will help to speed this up. I made this about 36 hours in advanced and kept it in the fridge.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 oz cream cheese (1/3 reduced fat)
2 cups icing/confectioner sugar
2 tbsp whip cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream together butter and cream cheese (~1 minute). Add sugar and mix until well combined and mix at medium speed until smooth (~2-3 minutes), scrapping down the sides as necessary. Add remaining ingredients, mix well.
Once cooled and frosted I dusted each cupcake with a pinch of ground earl grey and zest of Bergamot orange.
The Panel
Overall ganache and frosting were spot on, filling in for the lower level of sweet exhibited by the cake. Most found the earl grey/bergamot flavors were muted and comments were also made that the cake was a little dry.
Kupcake: "I want that freaking icing piled into a kiddie pool so I can shove my face in it, seriously."
JRock: "Ganache is DYNOOOOMITE!!!"
CrazyCakes: "Yum,Yum,Yum!!" more earl grey cream cheese frosting instead
My comments:
My main issue with this cupcake was the fact that I am still struggling with cake moisture levels and thought it might be resolved by separating the yolks and white this round, allowing for the folded white to add some airyness to the batter; perhaps I over folded. I found the aroma to be quite pleasant. I've aced the vanilla butter cream frosting and ganache. Ideas to add more earl grey flavor to this treat include steeping the whipping cream used in ganache with earl grey tea before combining it with the white chocolate, same with the small amount of cream used in the frosting. A stronger steeped milk for the cupcake recipe may have also provided a stronger flavor.
Overall ganache and frosting were spot on, filling in for the lower level of sweet exhibited by the cake. Most found the earl grey/bergamot flavors were muted and comments were also made that the cake was a little dry.
Kupcake: "I want that freaking icing piled into a kiddie pool so I can shove my face in it, seriously."
JRock: "Ganache is DYNOOOOMITE!!!"
CrazyCakes: "Yum,Yum,Yum!!" more earl grey cream cheese frosting instead
My comments:
My main issue with this cupcake was the fact that I am still struggling with cake moisture levels and thought it might be resolved by separating the yolks and white this round, allowing for the folded white to add some airyness to the batter; perhaps I over folded. I found the aroma to be quite pleasant. I've aced the vanilla butter cream frosting and ganache. Ideas to add more earl grey flavor to this treat include steeping the whipping cream used in ganache with earl grey tea before combining it with the white chocolate, same with the small amount of cream used in the frosting. A stronger steeped milk for the cupcake recipe may have also provided a stronger flavor.