Sweet Polenta Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting and Fresh Berries
What better way to celebrate the onset of Spring than with these beautiful italian-inspired cupcakes! Fresh berries atop a sweetened, cornmeal cake and a pillow of mascarpone cream.
Simple. Beautiful. Delicious.
And a perfect time to share two of my favorite cupcake accessories...
Silver cupcake liners, which I always have in stock for when the cupcake mood strikes. And, since cupcakes are a great treat to share with other people, a practical and easy way to transport them - the Cupcake Courier. I highly recommend this little baby. It has room for the tallest of cupcakes, or mounds of berries as the case may be, and they're all safely nestled and snapped into an easy to use container that I believe will survive even the bumpiest of car rides.
Sweet Polenta Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting and Fresh Berries nestled inside the Cupcake Courier (the top is currently off).
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup polenta, finely ground (if you'd prefer a more "textured" cupcake, substitute medium ground polenta)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the best you can get, it makes a HUGE difference in your baking results)
- zest of 2 lemons
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus a pinch for the egg whites
- 4 cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, blackberries & raspberries)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 muffin liners. Sift together the flour and baking powder then whisk in the polenta and salt.
In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. While the mixer is running add the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in the milk, vanilla, and lemon zest. With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients to this mixture until just incorporated.
In a separate, clean, dry bowl whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add a teaspoon of powdered sugar while the whites are mixing. Add half of the whites to the first mixture and beat with the paddle. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites with a large spatula to lighten the batter by incorporating air.
Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tins, filling each til about 2/3 full.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center. Cool each pan on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing the cupcakes. Again, cool the cupcakes completely to room temperature while before frosting.
Combine the mascarpone cheese with the confectioners' sugar slowly. Once you're past the stage of loose powdered sugar, beat together with a whisk until combined. Ice the cupcakes with the mascarpone frosting and top each with a mound of berries. Enjoy!
Recipe inspired/adapted from Michael Chiarello
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