Uzma - Mango Kulfi Cupcakes

Recipe Courtesy Raspberry Eggplant

Ingredients

·         ¾ stick unsalted butter (at room temperature)

·         ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

·         1 large egg (at room temperature)

·         ½ teaspoon pure vanilla

·         1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         1¼ teaspoons baking powder

·         1¼ cups flour

·         ½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Beat in egg, vanilla, cardamom, salt, and baking powder
4. Add half the flour and mix to just combine with the wet ingredients.
5. Add half the milk and mix to combine.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5.
7. Beat on low speed until the batter is smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds.
8. Divide the batter among mini muffin pans lined with foils or papers. Bake for 11-12 minutes, rotating the pans after 7 minutes. (A toothpick should come out clean.)
9. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack until the cupcakes come to room temperature, then remove the cupcakes from the pan.

Alphonso Mango Meringue Buttercream

3 large egg whites
½ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes (the butter should be just at room temperature but not too soft)
5-6 tablespoons reduced Alphonso mango puree*

* Alphonso mango puree can be found in Indian grocery stores - the best brand is Ratna, but others are fine. To make the reduction, put 1 cup of the puree in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat until it has reduced to about 1/3 of its original volume and is thick and dark orange in color.

1. Set the bowl of a stand mixer over a pan of simmering water. Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl. Whisk the mixture until the sugar has dissolved – this will take about 2-3 minutes.
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed (10) until it holds stiff peaks and is cool – this will take about 8 minutes. Don’t worry if you overbeat the mixture, just make sure you beat for at least this long, or your frosting will be runny when you add the butter.
3. Reduce the speed to 6. Add the butter, one cube at a time. The frosting might look curdled when you have a few cubes of butter left, but keep beating and add the rest of the butter. Continue beating until the frosting is smooth.
4. Add the mango reduction and beat just until incorporated.
(I took some leftover mango reduction and drizzled it on top!)