Sun Hat Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cupcakes:

• 3/4 cup milk

• 3 1/2 tsp white vinegar

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

  2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 2 1/4 cups light brown sugar

• 4 large eggs

• red food coloring

• peach jam

• Buttercream & Hats:

• 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 5 cups confectioner’s sugar

• brown and blue food coloring

• flower sprinkles

Let's get Cooking...

• Make the cupcakes: In a small bowl, combine the milk and white vinegar. Set in the fridge for 15 minutes to create homemade buttermilk. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating with each addition. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Divide the batter between 2 bowls and dye one bowl of batter red. Place both batters into piping bags fitted with round tips. Fill a lined cupcake pan with both shades of batter, swirling with a knife to create a marble effect. Bake at 325F for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Cut holes into the center of each cupcake and spoon some peach jam inside.

• Make the buttercream: Place the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, then beat for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Remove 1 cup of buttercream and dye it light brown. Dye 1/4 cup of buttercream turquoise and keep the remaining buttercream white.

• Make the sun hats: Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a piping bag fitted with a round tip, pipe the sun hats with the tan buttercream. Pipe a flat disk for the brim of the hats, then pipe a large mound in the center for the middle of the hat. Place the turquoise buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a small, round tip and pipe a ribbon around the center of the hat. Place a flower sprinkle onto the ribbon. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and freeze until completely stiff, about 1 hour.

• Place the white buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a large, round tip. Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake. Gently peel the sun hats off the parchment paper and decorate each cupcake with a hat. The hats will soften at room temperature, so make sure to work quickly.

bon appetit