White Forest Cupcakes

These are browned butter and white chocolate cupcakes with whipped cream frosting and topped with a cooked blueberry, exactly how I would define a White Forest Cupcake. This is how I imagine a cupcake the opposite of a Black Forest Cupcake. 

These cupcakes are also the best example to explain the "flavor notes" feature on this blog.

I classify the flavors in my cupcakes as notes, just like how these terms are used in perfumery. "Base Notes" are the flavors which are always in the background, the principle flavor of the cupcake, just like how the brown butter in these cupcakes sway in the background of the more pronounced flavors. "Heart Notes" are the compliments of the base note, the flavor which helps the base note and adds more harmony to the cupcake, like how the blueberry and white chocolate chips mingle in the sea of browned butter goodness. And the "Head Notes" are the flavors which wakes up your palate for it to prepare for the melody that shall follow, just like how the whipped cream prepares you for the blueberry, white chocolate, and browned butter bliss that is about to come.

White Forest Mini Cupcakes

Notes [ HEAD: Cream, HEART: Blueberry, White Chocolate, BASE: Browned Butter ]

Ingredients

Cupcakes [makes 16-18 mini cupcakes or 6-7 regular cupcakes]

3/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

dash of salt

1/3 c. butter, room temperature [a little over 1/2 stick]

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg 

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. milk 

1/4 c. white chocolate chips

Frosting

1/2 c. whipping cream
2 tbsp. sugar

Blueberry Topping
1/4 c. pureed blueberries
1/4 c. blueberries
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. sugar 

Directions

1. MAKE BATTER: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with liners. 
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

3. Cook butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Cook until the butter turns light brown. Let cool.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the browned butter and sugar, then add egg, and vanilla extract. Mix well.

5. Add half of the flour mixture and milk to browned butter mixture, beat then add remaining flour mixture. Fold the white chocolate chips.
6. BAKE CUPCAKES*: Fill liners with a tablespoonful of batter. Bake for about 12 minutes, do toothpick test. If they are not done, check at 1 minute intervals. Cool on wire rack.
7. COOK BLUEBERRIES: Cook the blueberry puree, whole blueberries, sugar and water in a saucepan on medium heat. Cook until sauce is thick and uniformly blue. Let cool.

8. MAKE FROSTING: Whip cream in a bowl, add sugar halfway. Then whip until stiff peaks form.

9. ASSEMBLE CUPCAKES: Frost the cupcakes. Top with a piece of cooked blueberry.

* FOR REGULAR CUPCAKES: Fill liners 2/3 full. Bake for about 18 minutes, do toothpick test. If they are not done, check at 1 minute intervals. Cool on wire rack.

How about you? What is your idea of a White Forest Cupcake?