Horchata Cupcakes
A few years ago I discovered this incredibly delicious Horchata cupcake recipe. One of my best friends was celebrating her 40th birthday with a traditional Mexican Fiesta and I volunteered to bake a variety of desserts. These Horchata cupcakes fit the theme perfectly and they surely didn’t disappoint. Since then, I have baked these cupcakes many times and they just keep tasting better and better.
One of my favorite things to do is bake, especially for family events or my kids birthday parties. I make it a big event and prefer to do it once the kids are asleep, even if it means that I will be up all night. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of devouring (kidding…LOL) one of my delicious pastelitos, you could taste all the love that goes into their creation. I may not be the best cook, but I can sure bake you a mouthwatering cupcake. I will most likely always ask for feedback too. My family might think it’s annoying but I don’t care, it brings me joy to hear that others love what I baked for them.
I’ve followed the same recipe every time but I learned to make adjustments with my mixer. I discovered that slow and steady was the trick to get the batter to its perfect consistency. Throughout the years I have tweaked the frosting just a bit. The original frosting recipe only calls for butter, sugar and Horchata. I decided to add cream cheese for added flavor.
So here it is, one of my all time favorite recipes for you to enjoy!
HORCHATA CUPCAKES - makes 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh Horchata (I buy it from my local supermarket or Mexican restaurant but you could also make it yourself. Don’t forget to order it without ice.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 large egg whites
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Directions:
Soften your butter in the mixer on high speed.
Drizzle the sugar in with the butter and beat until light and fluffy (approx. 2 - 3 min.).
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together.
Mix the Horchata and vanilla extract together.
Add your flour mixture and Horchata mixture to the butter/sugar in three parts, alternating between the flour and Horchata.
Set your mixture aside.
In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form (when your egg whites are ready, you will be able to turn your bowl upside down and the eggs won’t move).
Fold egg whites into the cake batter until fully incorporated.
Scoop batter into the prepared cupcake pans until they are half full (a full ice cream scoop is the perfect measurement).
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for approximately 20 minutes (insert a toothpick to the center of your cupcake, if it comes out clean, it’s ready).
Once ready, set the cupcakes aside to cool down.
CREAM CHEESE HORCHATA FROSTING
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese (one stick), softened
1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh Horchata
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7-8 cups of confectioner’s sugar
Directions:
Soften butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and combined.
Add confectioner’s sugar - one cup at a time until desired consistency and sweetness is reached.
Add vanilla extract and mix.
Add Horchata (a little bit of a time) depending on the consistency you are looking for. If frosting is too thick, add a little more Horchata.
Frost your cupcakes once cooled and sift a little bit of cinnamon on top. ENJOY!
Xoxo - G
