French Toast Cupcakes

I'm having major baking nostalgia. The first really extravagant cupcakes I ever made were french toast cupcakes. I had always loved baking but these cupcakes just threw my love for baking over the top. Of course I knew baking from scratch was a real thing but the cake mix Betty Crocker so selflessly provided in the grocery store seemed so much easier. I didn't realize how creative baking from scratch could be and how limiting baking with the box of cake mix could be. So when I happened upon a french toast cupcakes recipe, I decided to take a little risk and try it out. Who doesn't love breakfast and cupcakes, right? And I am SO glad I did. Without this recipe, my baking extravaganzas would be pretty non extravagant. I owe a lot of thanks to this recipe and Bakingdom for sparking my interest in cupcakes. So to show my gratitude, I made these cupcakes for a rotoract meeting. The recipe seemed so much easier the second time around after about a million other recipes of practice. So, with great honor, I present to you the magical French Toast Cupcake recipe!

Just some lovely rotoracters enjoying their cupcakes

CINNAMON STRUESEL

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 T sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

5 T cold butter, cut into pieces

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the butter but squeezing the pieces into the sugar mixture. I found using my hands was much more effective than using a fork. Pop the bowl in the freezer while you make the batter. 

FRENCH TOAST CUPCAKES:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 t baking powder

22 t cinnamon

1/4 t pumpkin pie spice

1/4 t salt

1 stick butter at room temp

1 container of plain yogurt

2 eggs

Plash of vanilla

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy add the eggs, one at a time, and blend until combined. Mix in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the yogurt. Blend until just until combined. Divide the batter among lined cupcake tins. Top with the struesel and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

MAPLE SYRUP BUTTERCREAM:

1 1/2 sticks butter at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

Splash of vanilla

Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly and blend until combined. Add the vanilla and maple syrup an mix until think and creamy. (Note: add the maple syrup slowly. It can get a little sticky and mess up the consistency of the frosting and/or become to maple-y flavor. The 1/4 cup is mostly just a guideline). Spoon or pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes! I dusted mine with a little cinnamon and powdered sugar because that is what I like on my french toast.

It was so nice to make these cupcakes again. It was even nicer when they turned out about hundred times better than they did the first time I made them. All of my practice has definitely paid off. Though you can't experience the taste difference, you can clearly see the technique differences. 

The first time I made them. My frosting collapsed and they weren't the prettiest cupcakes to ever walk this earth

Much better execution. I'm a sucker for a pretty cupcake.

I'm getting better everyday! This recipe was such a nice little confidence boost. 

Try something new today! You never know, you might be blogging about it later :)

xoxo,

KG