Almond Cupcakes With Blueberry Tequila Filling Topped With Marzipan And Acai Berry Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes

ALMOND CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cream butter at medium speed until smooth, add sugar and beat until well.
• Add two eggs, beat until smooth.
• Dump in the rest of your ingredients (you can whisk the dry ones together in a separate bowl first as way to "quick-sift" them) and beat until nice and smooth.
• Fill cupcake liners (or greased tins) 2/3 full, bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes, depending on your oven).
• Makes 24 regular size or approx 10 jumbo size.

MIXED-BERRY CHIFFON CAKE WITH ALMOND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For almond cream filling:
• Pour half and half into medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and bring cream to simmer. Remove from heat; cover and steep 15 minutes. Blend sugar and flour in medium bowl. Whisk in eggs, then warm half and half mixture; return to same pan. Add almond paste. Whisk over medium heat until almond paste dissolves and custard boils, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and butter; whisk until melted and smooth. Press plastic wrap onto custard; chill 3 hours. Remove vanilla bean. Beat cream to peaks; fold into custard in 3 additions. Cover; chill at least 6 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup lukewarm water into dry ingredients; beat in oil, egg yolks, both extracts, and peel. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions. Measure 4 2/3 cups batter into 1 prepared pan and 3 1/3 cups batter into second pan.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for thinner cake and 30 minutes for larger cake. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around cakes and turn out onto racks; cool completely.
• Place thinner cake on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom. Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly. Chill until filling is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Cut larger cake horizontally in half. Place 1 half, cut side down, atop chilled filling. Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down . Cover cake and remaining filling; chill 3 hours.
• For almond cream cheese frosting:
• Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, and both extracts in large bowl to blend. Beat in 3/4 cup remaining filling. Spread 1 cup frosting thinly over sides and top of cake. Spread cake with remaining frosting, building high rim around top edge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill.)
• Mound berries on top of cake. Brush top of berries with warm jelly to glaze. Serve immediately, or chill up to 6 hours.

BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
• Place blueberries into a pot and let simmer over medium heat until most of the water has evaporated from the fruit, stirring every few minutes, about 30 minutes total. Remove from heat and let cool, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Cream butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until completely mixed. Scrape down the bowl. Mix in 6 tablespoons of blueberry puree, milk, and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix on low speed for 1 minute more.
• Fill the prepared cupcake tin evenly with batter using an ice cream scoop.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract together with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and mix in 1/4 cup blueberry puree, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Frost cooled cupcakes.