bakery cook and tips: Mangoes and Cream Cupcakes

In my years of baking (writing that phrase made me feel old...), would it surprise you if I say I don’t own a single whisk? The one thing which I believe should be a staple in a baker’s armoire. I don’t know what happened between the time I decided I want to take up baking as a hobby and now. I mean, a whisk is an all-important baker’s gadget isn’t it? It’s like a flashlight to a bookworm, a bowl of popcorn to a film buff or a video camera to a reality TV star.

So last weekend, I decided to throw caution to the wind and bought my very first one... because I am in a state of panic. Summer's stash of mangoes have arrived and I need all the help I can get to make these Mangoes and Cream Cupcakes.

This is supposed to be a Blueberries and Cream Cupcakes post as I have seen in Martha's Cupcakes.

When I go to the Salcedo Market every Saturday, I am always on the look out if there are fresh blueberries so I can make the cupcakes. And then the mangoes came along and I had a "thinking out of the box" experience. ~~Goodbye blueberries~~, hello mangoes!

Mangoes and Cream Cupcakes
adapted from Martha's Cupcakes [Blueberries and Cream Cupcakes]
Makes 30 standard or 60 mini

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
2 cups diced mangoes plus more for garnish
Whipped Cream

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard or mini muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together both flours, baking powder and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Bake Happy Blogger: Whisk, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combines after each. Beat in vanilla. Fold in diced mangoes.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each, three quarters full. Bake rotating tins halfway through, until pale golden, about 25 minutes for standard and 15 minutes for mini.

5. Transfer tin to wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to three days at room temperature at airtight containers.

6. To finish top with whipped cream and garnish with diced mangoes. Serve immediately.

And serve immediately I did. Ma and Lisa (my sister) loved it! It was not overly sweet and the chunks of mangoes were at their ripest. A perfect combination.