Churro Cupcakes

I first saw the Churro Cupcake at Bakingdom's blog. It sounded pretty fantastic - cinnamon white cake topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting, a drizzling of salted dulce de leche and topped with a fried, home-made churro. Just the word "churros" brings back delicious memories of street vendors selling freshly fried, dulce de leche and chocolate-filled churros on the streets of Brazil.

For these cupcakes, I wanted the dulce de leche to take the spotlight, rather than the cinnamon. I settled on a cinnamon white cake (taken from the White-on-Rainbow Buttermilk Cake) with dulce de leche buttercream. I was happy with the results - except the buttercream frosting recipe I used felt like too much butter was required - I'd definitely cut back on it the next time. Due to the richness, only a thin layer of the frosting was needed.

Churros Cupcakes
Cupcake Batter (adapted from the White-on-Rainbow Cake)

Ingredients
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
3 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 tablespooon cinnamon (or more to taste)

Directions
Place baking rack one-third from the bottom of the oven, and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with paper cups.
Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, about 1 minute.

Combine cake flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add about half of the buttermilk and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Continue adding dry and wet ingredients alternately, scraping the bowl down and beating until incorporated after each addition. End with the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter evenly into the cupcake pans, about 2/3 full. Stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Monitor the cupcakes for doneness.

Dulce de Leche Buttercream
adopted from Sweetapolita

5 large egg whites (30g each–total 150g)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions
Whisk the egg whites and sugar over a simmering pot of water until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Be careful not to cook the egg whites! Transfer to a stand mixer and whisk on high 10 minutes, until the meringue reaches room temperature (the bowl should feel neutral/barely warm when touched). Slowly add vanilla and then butter, a few cubes at a time until all butter is mixed in. Add dulce de leche and mix until combined.

Frost cupcakes as desired. For the churro topping, you can make your own like Bakingdom but I just opted for some frozen ones that Ray bought for a kids' fundraiser. Or you can buy one at your nearest Costco.