Grapefruit Cupcakes with Honeyed Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Found a new cooking blog, yay! Smitten Kitchen, which seems super fun, wrote the recipe for the grapefruit cake and then Whisk Kid designed the frosting.

Ingredients

-- Grapefruit Cake --
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (13 grams) sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon grated grapefruit zest (about half a grapefruit)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

-- Frosting --
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg whites
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened, cut into small pieces
Honey, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray down a mini muffin tin, set aside.

2. Learn that it is very hard to zest a grapefruit unless your hands are gigantic. Persevere!

3. Whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla. Slowly add the flour. Fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed. They'll be spongey.

5. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear.

6. When the cupcakes are done, allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Poke a fork into the cupcakes and then pour about 2 teaspoons of the grapefruit-sugar mixture over each one and allow it to soak in.

7. Now for the tricky tricky frosting. This is a lil' tricky, so please check out Whisk Kid's guide. It's very well illustrated. :)

Pour the 1/2 cup sugar into the center of a saucepan and add the water on top to moisten it. Heat the mixture to 245F. Don't stir, just swirl gently to ensure it heats evenly.


8. When the solution starts to clear, begin whipping the egg whites. When they get to soft peaks, begin add the remaining 1/8 c sugar and continue whipping. When the syrup is completely clear and releasing small bubbles, slowly pour it into the eggs with the mixer on high.


9. After fully incorporated, beat the frosting 7-10 minutes until the outside of the bowl is room temp. Begin adding the butter, tablespoon by tablespoon, beating until fully incorporated. Keep whipping until the frosting comes together, then add the vanilla and honey.


10. Slap (and by that I mean delicately pastry gun) the whipped cream onto your cupcakes and enjoy!


- Jezebel