Rhubarb Vanilla Cupcakes with Whipped Cream
Soft vanilla cupcakes folded with pieces of sweet-tart rhubarb, finished with freshly whipped cream and a glossy rhubarb topping. Fresh, not overly sweet, with visible pieces of rhubarb in every bite.
Ingredients
Rhubarb topping
- 10 oz. rhubarb
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cupcakes
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup butter unsalted, room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons sour cream
Whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy cream cold
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (conventional oven) or 320 °F (convection oven).
- Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
Rhubarb topping
- Wash the rhubarb and cut it into half-moons (approx. ¼ inch (½ cm) thick).10 oz. rhubarb
- Put the rhubarb together with sugar, honey, water, and the vanilla extract in a saucepan and bring to a boil.1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Simmer for 5 minutes and then cool to room temperature.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the rhubarb from the syrup and let it drain. Reserve the syrup for topping. Let the rhubarb cool completely before folding one-third into the batter.
Cupcakes
- In the first bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt well with a fork.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a second bowl, mix the butter with the sugar, and with a mixer, beat until pale and fluffy in about 3 minutes.¾ cup sugar, ⅓ cup butter
- Add the eggs one at a time while continuing to mix. Do not add the next egg until the first egg is fully incorporated.2 eggs
- Mix in the vanilla extract.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the contents of the first bowl, the flour mixture, to the batter. Mix on low just until the flour is incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Finally, add the sour cream and mix.5 tablespoons sour cream
- Turn off the mixer and with a spatula gently fold ⅓ of the rhubarb into the batter.
- Divide the batter among the cupcake liners and fill each liner about two-thirds full and put the tin in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Bake until the tops are lightly golden and spring back when gently pressed. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely, about 40 minutes.
Whipped cream
- Beat the cold cream and confectioners’ sugar until firm peaks form.1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with your preferred nozzle.
- Just before serving, pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Spoon the cooled rhubarb on top and finish with a little cooled syrup.
NOTES
1. Rhubarb: Use only the rhubarb stalks and discard the leaves, as the leaves are not edible. Rhubarb can be red, pink or green depending on the variety. The color does not tell you whether it's ripe, although red stalks will give the topping a prettier color. I don't peel the stalks because the skin softens during cooking and helps retain that lovely pink color.
2. Sour cream: Sour cream keeps the cupcakes soft and moist without making the batter too thin. Its acidity also activates the baking soda, which helps the cupcakes rise. Use full-fat sour cream for the softest crumb.
3. Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Baking powder and baking soda both help the cupcakes rise, but work differently and cannot be swapped in equal amounts. The baking soda reacts with the sour cream, while the baking powder gives the cupcakes extra lift. For light and fluffy cupcakes, use both as written in the recipe.
4. Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract if possible. It has a fuller flavor than imitation vanilla, although imitation vanilla will also work in a pinch. I always keep a bottle of homemade vanilla extract in my pantry. If you bake regularly, it's easy to make and lasts a long time.
5. Storage
- Room temperature: Store the cupcakes without the whipped cream and rhubarb topping at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- With topping or when very warm: store in the fridge for up to 3 days. They will change their structure slightly due to the humidity in the refrigerator, but they are still very tasty. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
- Frozen (only without topping): Let the undecorated cupcakes cool completely. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 183mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 551IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Iron: 1mg
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