Donut Topped Cupcakes

For a recent order, I was asked to make a cake (forgot to take a picture!) and cupcakes for a Dunkin Donuts manager of the year.  What better way to tie in the Dunkin Donuts than donut topped cupcakes, glazed with the DD pink & orange.

Vanilla bean cupcakes, frosted with vanilla bean buttercream & topped with homemade vanilla bean donuts, with a simple glaze.

Paczki for Mardi Gras!

Paczki (pronounced punch-key) are a brioche dough donut with fruit or custard filling, popular around metro Detroit on Fat Tuesday.  With the large Polish population, I'm sure the donuts here are among the best!

I've made donuts with success before, so decided to try my hand at Paczki.  I made some with a raspberry filling and some with a vanilla pudding/custard filling.

I was so excited that these look just like the ones from the bakery!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Coffee & Donut Cupcakes

These coffee & donut cupcakes were for a Police Officer's retirement party. Obviously, they were for an officer with a sense of humor :)

I wanted to play off the cops & donuts stereotype, so I knew I wanted to incorporate the donut into the cupcake, as well as coffee flavor. Thinking that a coffee flavored cupcake may be too overpowering for the entire crowd, I chose to make a maple-vanilla cupcake. To top the cupcake, I made a coffee & cream buttercream by using a coffee/espresso flavoring and half & half. Finally, the cupcakes were topped with a baked chocolate donut, with a vanilla glaze & chocolate jimmies.

Maple Vanilla Cupcakes

yield 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

4 large egg whites

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp maple extract

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk milk, and egg whites. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla & maple extracts, then add the flour & milk, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the flour. Once everything has been added, beat the batter for 2 additional minutes. Scoop into lined cupcake pans and bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes.

Coffee & Cream Buttercream

2 sticks butter (I used 1 stick salted & 1 stick unsalted)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp coffee extract

2-4 Tbsp half & half or heavy cream

In a stand mixer, beat the butter for 3-5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly, mixing until incorporated (it may be crumbly at this point). Add the coffee extract and half & half, continuing to beat, until you reach the desired consistency. Pipe on to cupcakes.

Mini Chocolate Donuts

yield 48 mini donuts

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp nutmeg (don't skip this!)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

4 tsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, nutmeg & salt. In a small bowl, whisk milk, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and whisk until blended and smooth. To fill donut pans, put mixture in a ziploc bag and pipe into the cavities*, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before turning out from pan.

*Even though most pans are non-stick, I recommend spraying the pan. Wipe clean & spray each time to ensure the donuts do not stick.

Vanilla Glaze

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk ingredients together & use immediately. You can pour over donuts or dip each individually.

Cupcakes adapted from My Baking Addiction

Donuts adapted from The Motherload