French Toast Cupcakes With Whipped Cream Frosting

This cupcake is for those of us who love the taste of maple syrup on a pile of golden brown, battered toast, but want it in a compact package, available to us anytime of the day!

Cupcakes
2        Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2     teaspoon salt
1 1/2  teaspoons baking powder
2        teaspoons cinnamon
1        Cup sugar
1/4     Cup Maple Syrup
1        teaspoon vanilla extract
2        teaspoons maple extract
2/3     Cup milk
2        eggs
1/2     cup butter (1 stick)
.
Frosting
1/4     cup sugar
2        cups heavy cream
1        teaspoon unflavored gelatin

Set out two eggs and one stick of butter for about 30 minutes before you begin.  While you are waiting for the eggs and butter to come to room temp, preheat the oven to 350 and fill cupcake pans with liners.  This recipe makes 18-20 cupcakes.

Mix together the 2 Cups of flour with the 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.

Beat the 1/2 cup of butter for 30 seconds on medium speed

When the butter is "fluffy" add the 1 Cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, 2 teaspoons of Maple extract and 1/4 cup of maple syrup.  Beat on medium until well combined.

Add the two eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each one.

Add 1/3 of the flour mix to the wet mixture and blend well on low speed, add 1/3 of the milk, blend well.  Continue alternating the adding of  flour mixture then the milk, ending with a flour addition. 

Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full. 

Bake for about 13 minutes at 350 degrees. 

When you can smell the cupcakes, you need to start keeping an eye on them, checking every couple minutes.  Once they spring back slowly to your touch, they are ready to come out.  I like to test them with a toothpick; if it comes out 95% clean, they are good to go!

Now that you have pulled out the French Toast Cupcakes, you need to get started on the sweet whipped cream frosting.  Nothing goes better with french toast than fruit and a whipped cream topping!  If you like, you can skip this step and simply add your favorite prepared topping.   For the rest of you adventurous souls, we move on to the homemade frosting!




 

The key to a good whipped frosting is the chilled bowl.  Start with a stainless steel or aluminum type bowl.  I prepared my equipment by putting ice in the bowl and sticking the beaters down in it.

Prepare to make frosting by putting a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin into a small glass dish with 2 Tablespoons of cold water.  Let it set for a couple minutes.

Boil about an inch or so of water.  Place the ramiken of gelatin and water into the pot, stirring the gelatin until dissolved, about 2 minutes.

After the gelatin is dissolved, remove it from the heat for five minutes until somewhat cooled.  In the well-chilled bowl, combine 2 cups of heavy cream with 1/4 cup sugar.  Whip at medium speed while trickling  the gelatin mixture into the bowl.

Continue beating on medium speed until stiff peaks form in the frosting.  This is going to take awhile!  You can speed it up by putting your bowl over another bowl full of ice.  That helped alot!

Now stiff peaks have formed and it's time to frost your cupcakes!

There's no wrong way to put whipped frosting on a french toast cupcake, but if you would like a tip, pile it into a decorator bag with a star tip and pipe on.  Fan a strawberry ontop and voila, ready to eat!