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"Feminist Hulk" An-Stuffed Green Tea Cupcakes
These came out delicious, and since I've gotten multiple requests for the recipe, I thought I'd share. (An = sweet red bean paste) Note: Feminist Hulk-homage points will be increased by using purple cupcake liners, if you can find them.
For the an (red bean paste):
You can buy this in cans at the (Asian) grocery store, I'm told, but doing that never even occurred to me. If you're like me and want to do everything yourself, here's what you'll need:
300g/10.5oz azuki beans
300-360g/10.5-12.6oz sugar
Water
Put the beans in a pot with plenty of cold water and leave to soak overnight. In the morning, bring the beans to a boil over high heat; when it comes to a boil, add cold water (about 2 cups?), and when it comes to a boil again, drain the beans.
Return the beans to the pot and add plenty of water--enough to cover the beans to at least an inch or two deep. Simmer for 2-2.5 hours while skimming off foam over low heat; remove when the beans are crumbling soft.
Drain the liquid off the beans; reserve the liquid if you want to make zenzai with your leftover an (you do want to make zenzai). Leave some water in with the beans, and return the pot to the stove. Add the sugar to taste (I added 10.8 oz, and it was perfect, but I don't like that much sugar) and simmer while stirring until all the liquid is gone and the beans have formed a paste. Don't let it burn.
For the cupcakes (yield 24):
2.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar - Decrease to 1 3/4 cups if desired/to taste
3/4 cups canola or corn oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup light sour cream
2.5 Tbsp matcha - for less tea flavor, use 2 Tbsp
Beat the eggs and sugar on medium until thickened and lightened, about two minutes. Mix in the oil and vanilla on low speed until blended; mix in the sour cream until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients (you can sift them together beforehand if you care) and mix until the batter is smooth. Add the matcha and stir until batter is evenly green.
Fill the cupcake sleeves until about 2/3 full--don't overfill, as the cupcakes will rise. Plop a rounded teaspoon of an into the center of the batter, then press it down and cover it with batter using the back of a spoon. Bake on 350º F for 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven. (To make doubly sure of your oven, preheat to 375º F and then turn it down.) Cool cupcakes in pans for ten minutes before removing to a rack.
For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 2/3 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
Chop the chocolate (for a more intense chocolate flavor, use 4oz) and melt it in a double boiler, making sure to remove before it burns. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder (non-Dutch process is fine, if you can't find Dutch-process) into a bowl and add the butter, mixing on low speed until it's blended and it forms a smooth mass. If like me you never let the butter get warm enough and there are still little butter chunks, keep mixing after that until they're incorporated. Add the melted chocolate, and after that the vanilla and cream. If you forgot to let the cream warm, you can heat it on extremely low heat for not more than 10-15 seconds before adding it. Beat the frosting for at least three minutes on medium; it will get lighter and fluffier. Frost the cupcakes. For presentation, you can dust the frosted cupcakes with more matcha.
An recipe adapted from Eigo de tsukuru washoku; cupcake and frosting recipe adapted from cupcakes! by Elinor Kilvans. I was originally inspired to stuff the cupcakes by this recipe, which has chocolate cupcakes and green tea cream cheese frosting and also sounds delicious. The an recipe there is way too much work, though.
For the an (red bean paste):
You can buy this in cans at the (Asian) grocery store, I'm told, but doing that never even occurred to me. If you're like me and want to do everything yourself, here's what you'll need:
300g/10.5oz azuki beans
300-360g/10.5-12.6oz sugar
Water
Put the beans in a pot with plenty of cold water and leave to soak overnight. In the morning, bring the beans to a boil over high heat; when it comes to a boil, add cold water (about 2 cups?), and when it comes to a boil again, drain the beans.
Return the beans to the pot and add plenty of water--enough to cover the beans to at least an inch or two deep. Simmer for 2-2.5 hours while skimming off foam over low heat; remove when the beans are crumbling soft.
Drain the liquid off the beans; reserve the liquid if you want to make zenzai with your leftover an (you do want to make zenzai). Leave some water in with the beans, and return the pot to the stove. Add the sugar to taste (I added 10.8 oz, and it was perfect, but I don't like that much sugar) and simmer while stirring until all the liquid is gone and the beans have formed a paste. Don't let it burn.
For the cupcakes (yield 24):
2.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar - Decrease to 1 3/4 cups if desired/to taste
3/4 cups canola or corn oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup light sour cream
2.5 Tbsp matcha - for less tea flavor, use 2 Tbsp
Beat the eggs and sugar on medium until thickened and lightened, about two minutes. Mix in the oil and vanilla on low speed until blended; mix in the sour cream until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients (you can sift them together beforehand if you care) and mix until the batter is smooth. Add the matcha and stir until batter is evenly green.
Fill the cupcake sleeves until about 2/3 full--don't overfill, as the cupcakes will rise. Plop a rounded teaspoon of an into the center of the batter, then press it down and cover it with batter using the back of a spoon. Bake on 350º F for 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven. (To make doubly sure of your oven, preheat to 375º F and then turn it down.) Cool cupcakes in pans for ten minutes before removing to a rack.
For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 2/3 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
Chop the chocolate (for a more intense chocolate flavor, use 4oz) and melt it in a double boiler, making sure to remove before it burns. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder (non-Dutch process is fine, if you can't find Dutch-process) into a bowl and add the butter, mixing on low speed until it's blended and it forms a smooth mass. If like me you never let the butter get warm enough and there are still little butter chunks, keep mixing after that until they're incorporated. Add the melted chocolate, and after that the vanilla and cream. If you forgot to let the cream warm, you can heat it on extremely low heat for not more than 10-15 seconds before adding it. Beat the frosting for at least three minutes on medium; it will get lighter and fluffier. Frost the cupcakes. For presentation, you can dust the frosted cupcakes with more matcha.
An recipe adapted from Eigo de tsukuru washoku; cupcake and frosting recipe adapted from cupcakes! by Elinor Kilvans. I was originally inspired to stuff the cupcakes by this recipe, which has chocolate cupcakes and green tea cream cheese frosting and also sounds delicious. The an recipe there is way too much work, though.
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Does the an soften up or leak out the bottom at all? I've never tried to fill a cupcake with anything, so. :/ An seems to be pretty firm, though.
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Though I ended up making wayyyy too much an because I was too lazy to make conversions and I figured with two ingredients I could just sweeten to taste... that backfired. Any suggestions on what to do with extra an? Just eat it?
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I find it odd to think the frosting recipes could vary that much, but I didn't think it was too overpowering. Though next time I will probably just make that green tea cream cheese frosting instead.