How fun are these? Peeps can really just brighten up a person’s day can’t they? They’re so soft and fluffy and sugary and friendly. I am especially loving that purple color – what a great color.
So fun!
I knew we needed to have a nice light and fluffy cupcake to go with them and obviously a spring kinda flavor to match the fact that it’s SPRING!
Not that you would know it in here in the Rockies – it’s still snowing somewhat regularly here. But that’s cool. We can celebrate in different ways 
Like with peeps and cupcakes. I though about calling them Peepcakes… maybe I still will. I kinda like it.
Now you could, if you wanted to, add a little food coloring to the cake part to make them actually be pink – I prefer not to use food coloring for my baking when I can manage it (although I will most likely be posting a decorated Easter cookie recipe soon that will likely include some food coloring) but I try to keep it to a minimum.
I am trying to decide on my next project for this morning, after posting this. It’s so hard, do I make fun cookies…workout…or go attempt to get my VERY pregnant goat up on the stanchion to shave her for kidding…hmmm. She’s getting very close – we are just a couple days shy of two weeks from her due date but I will be shocked if she goes that long. For her sake I hope she doesn’t – I SO know how those last couple weeks are! Complete misery.
How fun will it be for me to post about the baby goats though?! I say goats because I am pretty confident there is at least two in there, if not more. I could see them kicking this morning when I went out to feed.
Ok, enough about goats…
Peepcakes.
FOR THE CUPCAKES- ½ cup Butter
- 1¼ cups Sugar
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 3 Egg Whites
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup Pureed Strawberries
- 1½ cups Cake Flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- pinch Salt
- 1 cup Buttermilk (I am at high altitude -5000ft- so I have to add a full cup of liquid, if you are at sea level you may need less - perhaps ½ cup. Look for the batter to be just a bit thicker than a brownie mix)
FOR THE LEMON SWISS MERENGUE BUTTERCREAM - 2½ cups sugar
- 10 large egg whites
- 4 cups (8 sticks or 2 pounds) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 350˚.
- Prepare your cupcake pan by placing a paper liner in each cup.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg yolk and then add the vanilla and pureed strawberries, beat for another 3 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then gently fold into the batter.
- Pour into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 16-20 minutes.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM - Place the egg whites and sugar in a heat proof bowl (I use my kitchenaid bowl) and place over a pot of boiling water. Whisk briskly until sugar has melted, you can test it by rubbing a little of the mixture between your fingers, it should feel smooth. Remove from heat.
- Place the bowl on your mixer and fit with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until the whites have cooled to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture has cooled start adding the butter a piece at a time. It may start to look curdled at some point at this stage but have no fear, it will smooth out again, just keep beating.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and add the vanilla extract and the lemon juice. If you like, add a bit of yellow food coloring.
- To assemble the peepcakes, simply pipe a little nest of frosting on the cupcake and top with your favorite color peep!
Original cake recipe adapted from: http://apronofgrace.com
- Huckleberry Plum Pie - January 1, 2017
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