Ease of preparation rating: Complex
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes
½ cup (120 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (120 ml) sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) brown sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
2-inch (5 cm) piece of vanilla pod
2 cups (470 ml) cake flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
½ cup (120 ml) milk
Honeyed Swiss meringue buttercream
8 egg whites
2 cups (470 ml) sugar
¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) cream of tartar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) honey
1 ½ cups (350 ml) butter
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla
Decorations
Honey
Candy bees
Special equipment
Cupcake pan
Piping bag with a large tip
Method:
To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Add cupcake liners to a cupcake pan.
Cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the egg, egg yolks, and honey and mix in. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add to bowl and mix in.
In a separate bowl, sift the cake flour with the baking powder and salt. Gradually mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Gradually mix in the milk. Pour batter into lined cupcake pan. Cook for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Let cool. Remove cupcakes from cupcake pan.
To make the honeyed Swiss meringue buttercream, whisk together egg whites, sugar, and salt in a bain marie. Continue whisking until the temperature reaches 150 F (65 C).
Remove from heat, add cream of tartar and honey and beat until egg whites are thick and glossy and have cooled to room temperature. Add butter a spoonful at a time, mixing continuously. Mix in vanilla. Keep mixing until mixture is smooth and cool.
To assemble, add meringue buttercream to a piping bag with a large tip. Swirl buttercream on top of the cupcakes in the shape of a bee hive. Drizzle honey over top. Place candy bees on honey.
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