Berry Buttermilk Cupcakes with Fondant Flowers

Now that I am getting the hang of it, I am finding myself really enjoying baking cupcakes. Those adorable berry buttermilk cupcakes with fondant flowers make no exception! Buttermilk gives cupcakes and sponges in general such a light texture. I am also finding that I much prefer Swiss meringue buttercream to regular buttercream.

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Swiss meringue buttercream is lighter and more subtle. It does not taste too much of butter and does not make one full after one bite. I feel those cupcakes tested a lot of my baking skills: making sponges, meringue buttercream and cake decorations. I had never used fondant to create edible flowers before. Overall, I feel I have done pretty well with those berry buttermilk cupcakes.

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I have to say, the cupcakes did sink a bit while baking and then cooling. After doing some research, I suspect my oven is imprecise and may have been too strong. It is possible I also over-mixed? Well, I do really like that specific buttermilk cupcakes and will be using it again, so I’ll get to practice! In the meantime, you can try them out yourself!

Ingredients

Buttermilk cupcakes	Swiss meringue buttercream	Decorations
85g unsalted butter (room temp) 85g salted butter (room temp) 440g sugar 2 eggs (room temp) 400g flour 400ml buttermilk 2 tsp baking sado 2 tsp white vinegar Sugar syrup Raspberries Blueberries	430g sugar 100ml water 8 egg whites (room temp) 540g unsalted butter (room temp) 60g raspberries 60g strawberries 40g blueberries 2 tbsp water	Fondant Food coloring Powdered sugar Flower silicon mold Strawberries Raspberries Blueberries

Berry buttermilk cupcakes recipe

The recipe yields about 36 cupcakes. Divide the ingredient quantities to get less cupcakes.

Buttermilk cupcake sponge

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175°C (375°F).
2. Line three cupcake baking trays with cupcake liners, or cook cupcakes in batches.
3. Cream the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until pale and fluffy.
4. In a separate bowl, lightly bake the eggs, then slowly add to the butter and sugar mixture, while still whisking.
5. Add the flour and buttermilk in alternate batches, and mix until combined.
6. In a small bowl, mix the baking soda and white vinegar. Add to the batter as it bubbles and mix.
7. Fill each cupcake liner to about half-way full, using a piping bag or ice cream scoop.
8. Add one raspberry and two blueberries atop each cupcake.
9. Put in the oven and bake for 18 minutes. The sponges are baked when golden and the tops spring back to the touch.
10. Remove from the oven and rest in the tins for a bit. Brush the top of each cupcake with sugar syrup to keep them moist.
11. Let the cupcakes cool for 20 minutes before removing them from the tins and placing them on a wire rack. Allow cool completely.

Swiss meringue buttercream

1. Put the raspberries, strawberries and blueberries in a small saucepan with 2 tbsp water.
2. Cover with a lid and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until the fruits turn mushy.
3. Strain the fruits through a sieve, using the back of a spoon to press all the juice out and ensure the pulp has been pushed through.
4. Allow to cool completely. Speed the process by putting the purée in the fridge.
5. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg whites.
7. Add a thermometer to the sugar mixture. Once it reaches 116°C (240°F), start whisking the egg whites on medium speed to a stiff peak.
8. Once the sugar reaches 121°C (250°F), remove from the stove and pour slowly over the egg whites in a thin and steady stream while mixing on medium.
9. Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed and whisk until the meringue has cooled to lukewarm and is stiff and fluffy.
10. Dice the butter and slow add a few cubes at a time to the meringue while whisking.
11. If the butter is too soft and warm, the meringue will look a bit liquid. A few minutes on the fridge or freezer will fix that.
12. After all the butter has been added and the meringue looks smooth and flossy, add the fruit purée while still mixing.
13. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.

Fondant flowers

1. Using store bought fondant, divide into 5 parts, one for each color. Keep one white.
2. Add coloring to the fondant and knead until covered through.
3. Cover the flower mold with powdered sugar.
4. Use a small bit of fondant to create the hear of the flower, and then add a bigger part of another color to create the petals. Ensure fondant is equally spread into each cavity.
5. Pressing in the middle of the mold and bending the sides, release the flower on parchment paper.
6. Repeat with all the flowers. Mix and match colors to create different combinations.

Assembling the berry buttermilk cupcakes

1. Pipe a rosette of meringue buttercream atop each cupcake.
2. Cut strawberries in half and add half a strawberry to half of the cupcakes.
3. Decorate the remaining cupcakes with a raspberry and a blueberry.
4. Add a fondant flower to each cupcake.
5. Enjoy!

You can watch baking videos on my Instagram!

What do you think of those berry buttermilk cupcakes with fondant flowers? Will you give this recipe a go? Have you had buttermilk cupcakes before?

Thanks a lot for stopping by. Hope you liked this post.

See you soon,
Love,
Corinne.