Crème Brûlée Cupcakes Recipes

CRèME BRûLéE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs and adding vanilla bean paste. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray; line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, cook sugar and water over medium heat, without stirring, to 325°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water separates into hard, brittle threads, swirling pan occasionally. (Watch carefully so mixture does not burn.) Immediately remove from heat. Pour mixture onto lined cookie sheet, spreading in thin layer. Cool completely. Break into shards.
• Scoop out small cavity in center of each cupcake. Spoon pudding into large resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut off 1 corner of bag; squeeze bag to pipe pudding into center of each cupcake, filling full.
• Spoon frosting into decorating bag fitted with #1G star tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Garnish with sugar shards.

CREME BRULEE-FLAVORED CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
• Mix cake mix, water, caramel topping, oil, eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in large bowl with mixer on medium speed or beat vigorously by hand, about 2 minutes. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 19 minutes. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix whipping cream and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until sugar has dissolved. Add remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and continue mixing until peaks appear in the cream.
• Frost cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

CREME BRULEE CUPCAKE

Steps:

• For the cake batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; line cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.
• Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat slowly until it is smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and salt and cream at moderate speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the eggs and egg whites together a little at a time, beating after each addition until the eggs are absorbed before adding more. Mix until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl to insure even mixing, about 5 minutes.
• Sift together the cake flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. Mix the milk and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Add one-quarter of the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture and beat just until blended in. Add one-third of the milk mixture and beat just until blended in. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, alternating the flour with the milk, until all the ingredients are used. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally for even mixing.
• Scoop some batter into each liner and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.
• For the custard frosting: Using an electric mixer with a whip attachment, whip the cornstarch and egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl until light and fluffy. Warm the whipping cream and confectioners' sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. When the cream mixture reaches about 100 degrees F, add about half of it to the egg yolks, whisking, and then transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. Continue cooking the yolk and cream mixture until it reaches a boil (about 180 degrees F). Remove from the heat immediately and pour into a clean stainless steel bowl. Whip in the butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy. (The mixture may be stored in an air-tight container up to 5 days.)
• For the brulee sugar mixture: Mix together the brown sugar and granulated sugar in a medium bowl.
• Top each cupcake with 1 1/2 ounces of the custard frosting. Sprinkle on some of the brulee sugar mixture and torch. Repeat several times to desired thickness.

CRèME BRûLéE CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, pudding mix, brown sugar, melted butter, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and 1 whole egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pan.
• In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining whole egg, 3 egg yolks and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over crust in pan.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set in center. Immediately sprinkle top with crushed toffee bits. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

CREME BRULEE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• 1. TO MAKE CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 350° F.
• 2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
• 3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Alternately beat in dry ingredients and milk. Add caramel syrup and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
• 4. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, but not dry. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
• 5. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
• 6. TO MAKE MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING: Put sugar, egg whites and salt into the top of a double boiler over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees). Pour heated egg whites into mixing bowl. With mixer on high speed (using whisk attachment if you have a KitchenAid), beat egg white mixture until it forms stiff, but not dry, peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes total.
• 7. With mixer on medium-low speed (using paddle attachment if you have a KitchenAid), add butter, two tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and continue beating 1 minute to reduce air bubbles.
• 8. TO ASSEMBLE CUPCAKES: Remove center of cupcake by cutting out cone shape. Ovefill cupcake with buttercream so there is no apparent recess. Sprinkle brown sugar on top and caramelize with creme brulee torch. (If you don't have a creme brulee torch in your cooking arsenal, fear not! Place cupcakes under broiler, but only with constant supervision because they will brown quickly, and blackened, while popular in Cajun cuisine, wouldn't appear appealing atop these magnificent morsels.)