Strawberry Babycakes (NYTimes)

 

NOTES

This recipe is based on the one in the NY Times (subscription may be required)

Makes 24 mini-muffins or 8-10 regular muffins.

Eggs must be at room temp.

Use golden syrup as a substitute for corn syrup, if you have it.

Often you can reduce the sugar a bit and not miss it.

If you are making white chocolate icing, you will need a total of 6 oz white chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

Baker’s spray (optional)
3 to 6 hulled strawberries, depending on size
No more than 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar

1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
(optional) 1/4 tsp rose extract or 1-1/4 tsp rose water
1 Tbl golden syrup or light corn syrup
2/3 cup (86 grams) all-purpose flour
6 Tbl (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted, still warm
3 oz (85 grams) white-chocolate bar, melted and fluid
1 Tbl milk

(optional) For the topping
3 oz (85 grams) white chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp neutral oil (to solidify the chocolate)
Sprinkles

PREPARATION

1. Hull and chop the strawberries into 1/4" pieces--have the same number of chunks as you do muffins. Set aside.

2. Melt the butter and set aside, being sure it doesn't solidify if you have a cool kitchen.

3. Center a rack in the oven and heat oven to 400 degrees; line a 24-hole mini-muffin pan or a regular muffin tin with cupcake papers, or use baker’s spray to coat the inside of the pan.

4. You need 24 chunks of strawberry for the centers of the cakes (fewer and larger for larger muffins), so slice the berries into small pieces and set aside. (For mini-muffins, the chunks should be about 1/4-inch wide and short enough to drop easily into the muffin cups.)

5. Working in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and salt. 

6. Drop in the room-temperature eggs and beat with a mixer on medium speed (or continue with a whisk) for about 2 minutes, or until foamy and slightly thickened. 

7. Stir in the vanilla extract and the rose extract, if you’re using it, followed by the Golden Syrup/corn syrup.

8. Switch to a flexible spatula, and blend in the flour in two or three additions. You’ll have a thick batter. 

9. Mix the warm melted butter into the batter in three or four additions, stirring gently until well incorporated. The batter will be stretchy and a bit slippery. 

10. Melt 3 oz of white chocolate and pour it over the mixture, stirring it in gently until combined.

11. Stir in the milk. 

12. Spoon about 1 tsp of batter into each mini-muffin cup (maybe 1 Tbl into a regular tin??), and then drop in a piece of strawberry. 

13. Divide the remaining batter evenly among the cakes to cover each berry.

14. Bake the cakes for 11 to 13 minutes, or until a slender tester poked into the center of a cake comes out clean. 

15. Transfer the pan to a rack, and let rest for 2 minutes before carefully removing the cakes; cool to room temperature on the rack.

16. To make the topping, in a small microwave-safe bowl, melt together the chocolate and oil in a microwave set to half power, or in a small pan over very low heat. White chocolate is fragile and finicky — it burns quickly — so stay close. Stir the mixture to make sure it’s smooth. 

17. One by one, dip the tops of the baby cakes into the chocolate, swirling the cakes to even out the topping and allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl or pan. 

18. Return the cakes to the rack and, if you’d like, finish with sprinkles. 

NOTE:  You can refrigerate the cakes for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate or leave them at room temperature. Chilled or not, the chocolate will remain a tad soft, and that’s nice. Kept in a covered container, the cakes will hold for a day or two.